MISSOULA – Montana Rail Link’s (MRL) request to terminate its 60-year lease with BSNF Railway (BNSF) was given the green light from the Transportation Board Wednesday. The approval means BNSF will regain control of the former Northern Pacific main line between eastern Montana and Idaho. The deal will eliminate the need to interchange freight between the two railroads. BNSF says it has reached agreements with the labor unions representing MRL employees and they plans to keep all of MRL’s 1,200 workers.
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