All aboard: Ellis & Eastern rail line getting multi-million dollar facelift

Knife River rehabbing track to keep up with material demand that comes with Sioux Falls, regional growth

A regional mining company is investing millions to rehabilitate a once-abandoned rail line it says will help keep hundreds of trucks off of South Dakota’s road network.

North Dakota-based Knife River Corp. will use a portion of a $14.5 million federal transportation grant to beef up operations of the Ellis & Eastern rail line that runs through Sioux Falls, Brandon and Valley Springs. And that means expect more train traffic in the coming years.

And while that might not sound appealing to commuters, project backers and enthusiasts say the additional rail transit capacity will be not just a benefit to the economy, but the taxpayer-funded roadway system most commuters contribute to as well.

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