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On average, railroads are four times more fuel efficient than trucks. In west-central Wisconsin, which is in the midst of a frac sand boom, that fact has increased business for railroads and spurred reinvestment in long-disused rural lines.
The region is a rich source of fine quartz sand, a vital ingredient in the hydraulic fracturing process that has opened up fresh reserves of shale oil and natural gas in North Dakota, eastern Montana, Texas and other parts of the country. Over the past five years, more than 40 frac sand mines have either opened or expanded their operations in west-central Wisconsin and in neighboring southeastern Minnesota.
In Wisconsin, many sand mining companies have built facilities adjacent to rail lines—a cost-effective way to ship raw or processed sand, often in “unit trains” of over 100 cars. In response to increased demand, railroads have ramped up their operations and rehabilitated little-used or dormant lines, at a cost of roughly $1 million to $2 million per mile.
Lakeville, Minn.-based Progressive Rail operates a 62-mile line running north from Chippewa Falls to Rice Lake and Almena, in Barron County (see accompanying map). Freight volume has increased fivefold to about 1,800 cars a month since EOG Resources completed a new sand processing plant in Chippewa Falls last December, said company President Dave Fellon. Over 90 percent of that volume consists of frac sand from the EOG plant and other mining facilities along the route.
Rising revenue has allowed Progressive to invest in human capital (payroll has increased from 65 to 100 workers over the past year) and critical line improvements. Fellon said the firm will spend $30 million to $50 million over the next five years on new railroad ties, bridges, loading facilities and other infrastructure.
Canadian National and Union Pacific have also refurbished long-neglected rail lines linking Wisconsin frac sand operations to distant markets. This summer, CN began clearing brush and laying new ties on a 45-mile section of rail between Cameron and Ladysmith to connect existing and proposed sand mines with a main CN line running north into Canada and south to Texas. The railroad backed out of a pending sale to the state that would have let Progressive operate the line, opting to retain ownership of a potentially profitable sand route.
For more on the economic impact of frac sand mining in the district, see the recent article in the July fedgazette.
