Northern Plains to build new rail-car center in North Dakota

Northern Plains Rail Services (NPRS) announced today it will develop a rail-car serving and repair facility in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

The Grand Plains Rail Center will complement the company's existing repair facility in Erskine, Minnesota, as well as its mobile car repair operations in Minnesota, North Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, NPRS officials said in a press release.

"We will offer repair and cleaning services for a wide array of car types at Grand Forks, together with value-added activities such as storage and switching," said NPRS Chairman Gregg Haug.

NPRS is working to finance the project with banking partner Alerus and the North Dakota Department of Transportation through its rail loan program.

The facility will be located on a 283-acre industrial site near Interstate 29, which offers road access and a connection to a BNSF Railway Co. line. The site features land for future expansion, according to Haug.

"Our discussions with shippers from both agricultural and manufacturing sectors led us to the decision to make this strategic investment in the Grand Forks area," he said.