The Nebkota Railway was a Class III railroad that began operations in 1994 with of former Chicago and North Western Railway Cowboy Line track between Merriman and

Chadron, Nebraska Chadron ( ) is a city and the county seat of Dawes County, in the state of Nebraska in the Great Plains region of the United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2010 census. This city is the location of Chadron State College. Chadron also is ...

. Prior to the abandonments, the railroad hauled primarily grain along with some gravel and timber.

History

Founded in 1994, the railroad's purpose was to haul grain in elevators in Chadron several miles west via trackage rights to its connection with the

Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Before its purchase, it was the largest Class II railroad in the United States, operating across South Dakota and southern Minnesota in ...

, now Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad at Dakota Junction and a further by trackage rights to a connection with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe at

Crawford, Nebraska Crawford is a city in Dawes County, in the northwestern part of the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The population was 997 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1886 and was named for the late Captain Emme ...

. Due to a loss of grain shipments from Gordon, Nebraska in 2006, the railroad abandoned the eastern of its line between Merriman and

Rushville, Nebraska Rushville is a city in Sheridan County, Nebraska, Sheridan County in the state of Nebraska, in the remote Nebraska Sandhills, Sandhills Region. Its population was 890 at the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Sherida ...

. In September 2007, the railroad abandoned the line between Rushville and east of Chadron due to the loss of grain traffic to larger main-line loading facilities. In addition to freight service, the railway offered a three-hour passenger excursion service as a dinner train that ran through the scenic Pine Ridge area near Chadron. In 2010, newly formed

Nebraska Northwestern Railroad The Nebraska Northwestern Railroad is a Class III railroad that began operations in April 2010 after it purchased of former Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern, now Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad, previously Chicago and North Western Railway ...

purchased the line between Dakota Junction and Chadron, including the Chadron rail yard. Nebkota retained its trackage rights. In January 2010, West Plains Company, owner of the Nebkota, announced plans to construct a 14 million-dollar grain loading facility on the remaining of track east of Chadron capable of loading a 126-car unit train in 10 hours. After local opposition and the purchase of the track between Dakota Junction and Chadron by

, the large loading facility was instead built near

Alliance, Nebraska Alliance is a city and the county seat of Box Butte County, in the western part of the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. Its population was 8,151 at the 2020 census. Alliance is the home to Carhenge, a replica o ...

and a much smaller $800,000 grain loading auger was built east of Chadron. On August 26, 2013 John Nielsen, owner of the

filed a petition with the Surface Transportation Board to purchase 100% of Nebkota's stock and assume control of the railroad from owner West Plains, LLC. The petition noted Nebkota had no current customers, no current employees, and its trackage rights to Crawford, Nebraska were inactive. Planned replacement of ties before winter, development of business and rail opportunities as part of an effort to restore service, and the strong support of West Plains, LLC were cited as reasons to expedite the petition. On November 20, 2013 the Surface Transportation Board authorized John Nielsen to gain control of the Nebkota as of December 15, 2013. On April 11, 2017 the Surface Transportation Board approved a corporate merger effective in May 2017 between Nebkota Railway and Nebraska Northwestern Railroad with Nebraska Northwestern being the surviving corporate entity.

Roster

References

Nebraska railroads Spin-offs of the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company {{Nebraska-transport-stub