The following railroads operate in the U.S. state of North Dakota.
Common freight carriers
- BNSF Railway (BNSF)
- CPKC Railway (Canadian Pacific Kansas City) through subsidiary Soo Line Railroad (SOO)
- Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad (DMVW)
- Dakota Northern Railroad (DN)
- Northern Plains Railroad (NPR)
- Operates the Mohall Railroad and Mohall Central Railroad
- Red River Valley and Western Railroad (RRVW)
- Yellowstone Valley Railroad (YSVR)
Private freight carriers
- Cenex Harvest States Cooperatives
Passenger carriers
- Amtrak (AMTK)
Defunct railroads
<!--Cavalier County - barely across the border to Maida?-->
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Name
!Mark
!System
!From
!To
!Successor
!Notes
|-
|Aberdeen, Bismarck and Northwestern Railway
|
|CP
|1887
|1888
|Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway
|-
|Bismarck, Washburn and Fort Buford Railway
|
|CP
|1889
|1900
|Bismarck, Washburn and Great Falls Railway
|-
|Bismarck, Washburn and Great Falls Railway
|
|CP
|1900
|1904
|Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway
|-
|Brandon, Devils Lake and Southern Railway
|
|GN
|1905
|1943
|Great Northern Railway
|-
|Burlington Northern Inc.
|BN
|
|1970
|1981
|Burlington Northern Railroad
|-
|Burlington Northern Railroad
|BN
|
|1981
|1996
|Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway
|-
|Casselton Branch Railroad
|
|GN
|1880
|1883
|St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway
|-
|Chicago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound Railway
|
|MILW
|1909
|1912
|Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway
|-
|Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway
|
|MILW
|1885
|1928
|Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
|-
|Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway of South Dakota
|
|MILW
|1906
|1908<!--or 1911?-->
|Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway of Washington
|-
|Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway of Washington
|
|MILW
|1908
|1909
|Chicago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound Railway
|-
|Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
|MILW
|MILW
|1928
|1982
|Burlington Northern Railroad
|-
|Chicago and North Western Railway
|CNW
|CNW
|1879<!--leased the Dakota Central Railway, which opened into ND in 1886-->
|1972
|Chicago and North Western Transportation Company
|-
|Chicago and North Western Transportation Company
|CNW
|CNW
|1972
|1986
|Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad
|-
|Dakota Central Railway
|
|CNW
|1879
|1900
|Winona and St. Peter Railroad
|-
|Dakota and Great Northern Railway
|
|GN
|1900
|1907
|Great Northern Railway
|-
|Dakota and Great Southern Railway
|
|MILW
|1883
|1886
|Chicago, St. Paul and Milwaukee Railway
|-
|Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad
|DME
|
|1986
|1991<!--sold Hecla-Oakes-->
|Red River Valley and Western Railroad
|-
|Devils Lake and Northern Railway
|
|GN
|1900
|1902
|Farmers' Grain and Shipping Company
|-
|Duluth and Manitoba Railroad
|
|NP
|1885<!--or later in ND?-->
|1898
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|Duluth and Manitoba Railway
|
|NP
|1884<!--in ND too?-->
|1885
|Duluth and Manitoba Railroad
|-
|Fairmount and Veblen Railway
|
|CP
|1912<!--or later in ND?-->
|1915
|Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway
|-
|Fargo and Southern Railway
|
|MILW
|1881
|1885
|Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway
|-
|Fargo and Southwestern Railroad
|
|NP
|1881
|1898
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|Farmers' Grain and Shipping Company
|FG&S
|GN
|1902
|1943
|Great Northern Railway
|-
|Great Northern Railway
|GN
|GN
|1890<!--leased the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway-->
|1970
|Burlington Northern Inc.
|-
|James River Valley Railroad
|
|NP
|1883
|1898
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|Jamestown and Northern Railroad
|
|NP
|1881
|1898
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|Jamestown and Northern Extension Railroad
|
|NP
|1889
|1898
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|Midland Continental Railroad
|MICO
|CP/ NP
|1903<!--or later in ND?-->
|1970
|N/A
|-
|Minneapolis and Pacific Railway
|
|CP
|1884<!--or later in ND?-->
|1888
|Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway
|-
|Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
|SOO
|CP
|1944
|1961
|Soo Line Railroad
|-
|Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway
|SOO
|CP
|1888
|1944
|Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
|-
|Missouri River Railway
|
|NP
|1906
|1914
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|Montana Eastern Railway
|
|GN
|1912
|1928
|Great Northern Railway
|-
|Northern Dakota Railway
|
|
|1907
|1922<!--??-->
|N/A
|-
|Northern Pacific Railroad
|
|NP
|1864
|1896
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|Northern Pacific Railway
|NP
|NP
|1896
|1970
|Burlington Northern Inc.
|-
|Northern Pacific, Fergus and Black Hills Railroad
|
|NP
|1881<!--charter expanded to enter ND at the same time as it was renamed-->
|1898
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|Northern Pacific, La Moure and Missouri River Railroad
|
|NP
|1886
|1898
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|Ordway, Bismarck and Northwestern Railway
|
|CP
|1883
|1887
|Aberdeen, Bismarck and Northwestern Railway
|-
|Red River Valley and Western Railroad
|
|GN
|1893
|1893
|St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway
|-
|St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway
|
|GN
|1879
|1907
|Great Northern Railway
|-
|Sanborn, Coopertown and Turtle Mountain Railroad
|
|NP
|1882
|1898
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|South-Eastern Dakota Railroad
|
|NP
|1886
|1898
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|Western Dakota Railway
|
|NP
|1906
|1914
|Northern Pacific Railway
|-
|Winona and St. Peter Railroad
|
|CNW
|1900
|1900
|Chicago and North Western Railway
|}
;Electric
- Devils Lake and Chautauqua Railway
Notes
References
- North Dakota Public Service Commission, . Retrieved March 10, 2005.