Montana Rail Link (MRL), a Class II regional railroad that operates over 900 route miles of track in Montana and Idaho, is currently constructing four tracks west of Laurel, Mont. at Spurling to be used as a staging area for westbound trains. The 12-month project is in the construction phase and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2016.
Approximately 20 people are working on the multi-million dollar project. MRL will be using concrete ties for the project based on availability and ease of installation. The Spurling project will allow the railroad to provide continued quality service to its 150 on-line customers, as well as countless rail customers in the region as MRL is a primary route in the northern region national rail network. Over the past two years, MRL has invested nearly $25 million in siding and yard expansion projects that have resulted in additional capacity and 20% improved transit times across the MRL network.