Rail Freight Carriers in

South Dakota

A freight train of D & I Railroad near Renner.
Locomotive 3028 and 3030 are EMD GP40-2 3000hp Co-Co diesel electrics.
2511 is an EMD GP39-2 2300hp Bo-Bo diesel electric.
The fourth locomotive has not been identified.

Long Haul Railways

BNSF, CPKC

Regional & Local Railways

• D & I Railroad Dell Rapids to Sioux Falls (interchange with BNSF and Ellis & Eastern); trackage rights over BNSF to Canton (interchange with BNSF); own line from Canton via Hawarden IA (branch to Beresford) to Elk Point (interchange with BNSF and trackage rights over BNSF to Sioux City IA). Crosses the SD/IA border several times between Canton and Elk Point
• Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western Railroad located mainly in ND with a short section in MT, enters SD near Kidder and continues via Jarrett Junction (branch to Britton) to Aberdeen (interchange with BNSF and Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern). Total length of line about 555 miles (893 km)
• Ellis & Eastern Railroad Ellis via Sioux Falls (interchange with BNSF and D & I), Brandon and Manley MN (interchange with BNSF) to Agate MN (interchange with Union Pacific). The section between Brandon and Manley had been abandoned but is to be reinstated. Total length of line about 63 miles (101 km)
• JBC Rail Services switching services and railcar storage at Rosholt, interchanging with CPKC
• Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad Tracy MN via Elkton, Huron (branch to Yale where there is interchange with BNSF and trackage rights over BNSF to Watertown), Wolsey (interchange with BNSF and trackage rights over BNSF via Redfield to Aberdeen, where there is interchange with Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western; own branch from Redfield to Mansfield), Blunt (branch to Onida), Rapid City (interchange with Ringneck & Western and branch via Smithwick to Dakota Junction NE) and Belle Fourche to Colony WY. Total length of line about 743 miles (1195 km)
• Red River Valley & Western Railroad located mainly in ND, a 5 mile (8 km) section extends into SD as far as Hecla. No direct connection with any other railway in SD
• Ringneck & Western Railroad Mitchell (interchange with BNSF, and trackage rights over BNSF to Aberdeen and to Sioux City IA) via Vivian to Kadoka, about 188 miles (303 km), although the section between Vivian and Kadoka is currently out of service. There is also a short, isolated segment in Rapid City, interchanging with Rapid City Pierre & Eastern
• Sisseton Milbank Railroad Milbank (interchange with BNSF, and with Twin Cities & Western via trackage rights over BNSF) to Sisseton, about 37 miles (59 km).
• Sunflour Railroad Rosholt (interchange with CPKC) to Claire City, about 18 miles (29 km). Line currently in use only for railcar storage (No website located at present)