Plans Nixed for a Proposed Rail Line to Move Coal from Montana

The sudden collapse of the coal industry has been as swift as it has been shocking.

1 minute read

December 1, 2015, 9:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


The Associated Press reports that a proposal to build a $400 million railroad to haul coal from a planned mine on the Montana-Wyoming border is on hold.

Tongue River Railroad Co. has suspended the permitting process for a 42-mile rail line, which would connect the proposed Otter Creek Mine in the Powder River Basin to the town of Colstrip and on to existing rail lines. The mine, however, has had trouble opening on schedule given the weak market for coal, and the railroad company is putting their permit process on indefinite hold.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015 in Billings Gazette

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