DM&E Railroad Expects New Track By Next Year

Laramie, WY – The head of the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad says he expects construction on 200 miles of new rail line to begin next year -- if not sooner. Although the company has been rejected for a two-point-three billion dollar federal loan, Chief Executive Officer Kevin Schieffer says private investors are interested in DM&E's plans to extend tracks into Wyoming and ship coal eastward. The railroad boss has little to say about a recent report that other railroads are interested in the DM&E. Schieffer says the company has made great strides on its own in the last decade. He adds that a record 100 million dollars will be spent this year to upgrade 110 miles of rail line in South Dakota and Minnesota.