Upriver from Hastings, Mn.

BNSF and CP join routes north or upriver from Hastings, Mn. along the Mississippi River. Once the two tracks join they then run parallel in an arrangement that doesn't look like true double track. One track has some areas where it separates from the other track, often having some trees or brush in between.

How is this section operated? do trains of both roads use both tracks? And if not which track is CP's and which track is BNSFs?

I am interest to know which track is nearer to the river? If joint track is there a routing plan they follow such as eastbound along the river, westbound along the bluff?

train2 wrote:BNSF and CP join routes north or upriver from Hastings, Mn. along the Mississippi River. Once the two tracks join they then run parallel in an arrangement that doesn't look like true double track. One track has some areas where it separates from the other track, often having some trees or brush in between.

How is this section operated? do trains of both roads use both tracks? And if not which track is CP's and which track is BNSFs?

I am interest to know which track is nearer to the river? If joint track is there a routing plan they follow such as eastbound along the river, westbound along the bluff?

I'm not sure about the specific agreements, but CP's ex-Milwaukee main broadly follows US 61 inland and BNSF's ex-CB&Q main goes along the river to St. Paul Park, then parallels the Milwaukee. Presumably the lighter trains such as intermodals and empties (and Amtrak) use the more heavily graded, shorter CP line and the big coal trains use the longer but less steep BNSF. South of there along the river, there's been many instances of flood detours over one line or the other, but there's not a standardized trackage rights agreement.

The tracks we are talking about are part of the St. Paul Subdivision. The BNSF East Hump Dispatcher (AAR Channel 76) controls both tracks on this section of the St. Paul Sub.

From the St. Croix station sign to the Newport station sign Main Track 1 ( aka the "bluff side") is owned and maintained by the CP. Main Track 2 (aka the "river side") is owned and maintained by the BNSF. West of the Newport station sign things are reversed. Main Track 2 belongs to the CP and Main Track 1 belongs to the BNSF.

One way of telling which track belongs to which railroad is by looking at the mileposts. On the St. Paul Subdivision, mileposts on track owned by the CP have a capital letter C after the number. BNSF mileposts have a capital letter B after the number.