Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad

Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad
DME 4004 and 4000 at Davis Junction, Illinois
Overview
HeadquartersCPKC Plaza
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Reporting markDME
LocaleIowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming; United States
Dates of operation1986–2008
SuccessorCanadian Pacific Railway,
Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (reporting mark DME) is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City.[1] Before its purchase, it was the largest Class II railroad in the United States,[2] operating across South Dakota and southern Minnesota in the Northern Plains of the United States. Portions of the railroad also extended into Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. It interchanged with all seven U.S. Class I railroads.

The DM&E began operations on September 5, 1986, over trackage spun off from the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company in South Dakota and Minnesota. The DM&E purchased the assets of I&M Rail Link railroad in 2002, renaming it Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad. DM&E combined its management and dispatching duties with those of ICE under the holding company Cedar American Rail Holdings. The combined system connected Chicago through Iowa to Kansas City, Minneapolis-St. Paul and continued west to Rapid City, South Dakota. Smaller branches extended into Wisconsin, Wyoming and Nebraska.[3]

In September 2007 it was announced that Canadian Pacific Railway would acquire the DM&E upon approval by the Surface Transportation Board of the US Department of Transportation. The STB announced its approval of the purchase plan on September 30, 2008.[4][5][6] Lines west of Tracy, Minnesota were sold to Genesee & Wyoming in 2014 to form the Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad.[7]

  1. ^ CP 2019 Annual Report. Canadian Pacific Railway, February 20, 2020
  2. ^ Hetland, Cara - DM&E sale may move expansion forward. MPR News, September 5, 2007
  3. ^ Machalaba, Daniel (February 21, 2002). "DM&E Rail Set to Unveil Midwest Accord" (PDF). The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2011. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  4. ^ "Surface Transportation Board Approves Canadian Pacific Railway's Acquisition of Control of the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad, Subject to Conditions" (Press release). United States Surface Transportation Board. September 30, 2008. Archived from the original on May 27, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  5. ^ "Canadian Pacific welcomes STB approval" (Press release). Canadian Pacific. September 30, 2008. Archived from the original on May 27, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  6. ^ "Merger is now complete" (Press release). CP Rail. October 31, 2008.
  7. ^ CP selling DM&E west end to Genesse & Wyoming. Associated Press, January 2, 2014