Chicago Rail Seeks Amended Rights on Cedar River Tracks
Published Date: 12/11/2025
Notice
Summary
Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad (CCP) just scored new local rights to run trains on 43.5 miles of Cedar River Railroad’s tracks between Iowa and Minnesota. This upgrade lets CCP use its own crews to serve an ethanol plant and other big customers, making train service smoother and more flexible. The change kicks in right after their November 2025 agreement, with no extra costs to the public.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New local rail service for ethanol and unit trains
Chicago, Central & Pacific Railroad (CCP) can run trains with its own crews over about 43.5 miles of Cedar River Railroad track between Charles City, Iowa and London Township, Minnesota starting on or after December 25, 2025. CCP may serve an Absolute Energy LLC ethanol facility at Mona/St. Ansgar, Iowa and other customers that ship or receive "co-load" traffic in blocks of at least 25 cars that are combined into unit trains.
Employee protective conditions apply
Any employees affected by CCP's acquisition of the trackage rights will be protected under the employee-protection conditions imposed in Norfolk & Western Railway--Trackage Rights--Burlington Northern, Inc., 354 I.C.C. 605 (1978), as modified in Mendocino Coast Railway--Lease & Operate--California Western Railroad, 360 I.C.C. 653 (1980). These protections are a condition of the exemption that may be effective on or after December 25, 2025.
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