Feds Finally Kill $400 Million Tongue River Coal Railroad Proposal

The unraveling of the coal industry, as exemplified by the demise of Arch Coal, was on display again as federal regulators put the final nail in the coffin of a proposed coal railroad.

1 minute read

April 27, 2016, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Coal Railroad

Jim Parkin / Shutterstock

"The $405 million Tongue River Railroad proposed for southeast Montana is the crashing coal economy’s latest casualty," reports Tom Lutey. "The federal Surface and Transportation Board decided unanimously to kill the coal railroad, given the recent bankruptcy of Arch Coal."

The last Planetizen heard from the Tongue River Railroad, the permitting process had been "suspended" in December. Since then, Arch Coal also suspended an application for a major mine proposal in southeastern Montana that would have used the Tongue River Railroad to deliver coal north to Miles City.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016 in Billings Gazette

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