Progressive Rail Inc. , headquartered in Lakeville, Minnesota

Lakeville, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 43,128 people, 13,609 households, and 11,526 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,192.4 people per square mile . There were 13,799 housing units at an average density of 381.5 per square mile...

 (a southern suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul), is a short line railroad operating several branches including the Airlake Terminal Railway. Not all segments physically connect. The branches are listed as follows:

• Airlake Industrial Park in Lakeville, Minnesota
• The "High Line" or alternately "Dan Patch Line" in Bloomington, Minnesota
  Bloomington, Minnesota
  Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern...
  
  , Richfield, Minnesota
  Richfield, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 34,439 people, 15,073 households, and 8,727 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,993.9 people per square mile . There were 15,357 housing units at an average density of 2,226.9 per square mile...
  
  , and Minneapolis, Minnesota
  Minneapolis, Minnesota
  Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
  
  , beginning at Auto Club Yard in Bloomington and serving a variety of industries
• Northfield
  Northfield, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
  
   to Lakeville, leased CP Rail trackage
• Northfield
  Northfield, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
  
   to Faribault, Minnesota
  Faribault, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
  
  , leased Union Pacific trackage
• Northfield to Cannon Falls, Minnesota
  Cannon Falls, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 3,795 people, 1,550 households, and 996 families residing in the city. The population density was 946.4 people per square mile . There were 1,611 housing units at an average density of 401.8 per square mile...
  
  , with service to the Great Western Industrial Park in Randolph, Minnesota
  Randolph, Minnesota
  Randolph is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 436 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. State Highway 56 serves as a main route in the community. ...
  
  
• The Eagandale industrial line in Eagan, Minnesota
  Eagan, Minnesota
  Eagan is a city south of Saint Paul in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. Eagan and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the fifteenth largest...
  
  , leased CP Rail trackage (exMilwaukee Road)

Progressive Rail also acquired the Wisconsin Northern Division in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 13,661 at the 2010 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County....

 and operates as a separately-named division. They also own the Central Midland Railway

Central Midland Railway

The Central Midland Railway is a railroad in the U.S. state of Missouri, operating under lease the line of the Missouri Central Railroad , the former St. Louis Subdivision of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. The CMR only uses a small part of the line which used to stretch from St....

 in Missouri.

The railroad originally started in 1996 serving the Airlake Industrial Park. In 2001, they leased the ex-Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway

Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway

The Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway was an long American short line railroad connecting Minneapolis and Northfield, Minnesota. It was incorporated in 1918 to take over the trackage of the former Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company, also known as...

"High Line" in Bloomington and Richfield and started rebuilding the track. The company's philosophy has been to provide service that a large railway chooses not to provide. They have also focused on economic development, including finding new customers, and working on regaining former rail customers along their lines. This strategy has paid off in an increase in traffic, from 600 carloads in their first year of operation to more than 5000 carloads in 2003.

Major commodities include: resins, chemicals, fuels, lumber, gypsum board, cement, fly-ash, metals, paper, machinery, food and kindred products, scrap materials, and consumer products.

Progressive Rail also operates a wholly owned subsidiary, Progressive Rail Specialized Logistics, that provides rail logistics services for machinery and over-dimensional freight shippers.