Partnership sets Bakken transload terminal

Written by Douglas John Bowen
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Northern Plains Rail Services (NPRS) said Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014 it has formed a partnership with NorthStar Midstream "to provide switching operations at their new transloading terminal located in Fairview, N.D."

Initial inbound operations are scheduled to commence early next month, NPRS said. NPRS is part of Fordville, N.D.-based Northern Plains Railroad, the latter honored by Railway Age as the 2010 Regional Railroad of the Year.

The terminal’s design utilizes a ladder track with over 80,000 linear feet of track initially. On-site storage is virtually unlimited, utilizing outdoor yard space, vertical silos, and indoor warehousing, NPRS said.

NorthStar Midstream itself is a partnership formed by NorthStar Transloading, LLC, and New York-based investment firm Highstar Capital. NorthStar Midstream is primarily focused on developing and owning rail terminal facilities, and the transporting of crude oil and related products linked to the rapidly expanding activity in the Bakken region in North Dakota and eastern Montana.

In a statement, NorthStar Midstream CEO Jon Hempel said, “Our focus is on providing customers with a best-in-class customer service experience incorporating a high level of technology in the experience.”

BNSF Railway provides mainline service to and from the terminal. NPRS will provide industrial rail switching services in support of NorthStar Transloading’s day-to-day operations at the terminal.

NorthStar Midstream SVP of Rail Operations Michael Gibson said, “NorthStar looks forward to working with Northern Plains on the operations of our terminal. NPRS’s experienced crew will help us operate our facility safely and efficiently and enable us to provide our customers with exceptional resources for getting their product in and out of the region.”

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