BNSF to begin using at least 11 miles of idle rail cars sitting between Helena and Great Falls

11 miles of idle rail cars to roll again in Mont.

HELENA, Mont. — BNSF Railway Co. will put back into service rail cars that have sat idle for up to three years on unused track stretching more than 11 miles between Helena and Great Falls, a company spokesman said Monday.

The company has seen increased demand for moving freight and is now planning to move 11 or 12 miles of the idle cars starting in the next two or three weeks, spokesman Gus Melonas said. About 100 rail cars can be stored on a mile of track, though Melonas says the size depends on the type of car.

There are about 32 miles of rail cars being stored on track between Helena and Great Falls, including cars used to haul shipping containers and those used to transport timber. Texas-based BNSF, a division of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., began storing them about three years ago when the economic downturn lowered demand.

Next week, the last of what was 13 miles of idle cars also will be removed from northern Montana near Big Sandy, Melonas said.

The cars could be idled again if demand falls.

The cars stored in Montana represent about 10 percent of idle stock companywide. There have been rail cars stored in nearly every state in which BNSF operates, the greatest number in Minnesota, Melonas said.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc.