Shipping delays remain as Midwest floodwaters ease

Railroads and other shippers have largely restored service as the floodwaters have receded, but some rail lines are still closed and heavy rains may have contributed to a derailment this week. Data from the industry's trade group show the floods reduced shipments of coal, grains and other goods as demand for those commodities remains high.

Parts of two rail lines operated by BNSF Railway, a subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., are under water and remain closed, the company said.

"We're still trying to get train service back to normal," said Steven Forsberg, a spokesman for BNSF.

Union Pacific Corp., the nation's largest freight railroad, Norfolk Southern Corp. and others say they've repaired damaged tracks and bridges, and their trains are running on time.

But small local lines in hard-hit states such as Iowa and Wisconsin are still struggling with the flood's aftermath.

The Iowa Northern Railway Company is "experiencing significant service disruptions" and its main office in Cedar Rapids is closed, according to a note on its Web site Thursday. The railway, which operates a 163-mile network, carries grain and ethanol.

The company will have to detour some its shipments for months due to a washed-out bridge near Waterloo, Iowa, that likely won't be replaced until the end of this year, said spokesman Joshua Sabin.

Separately, a freight train operated by Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad derailed Wednesday, near Guttenberg, Iowa. The company said recent heavy rains, before and after the floods, may have contributed to a landslide that caused the derailment. The railroad hopes to repair the damaged track by Sunday.

IC&E, which operates a 1,400 mile network in five states, said Thursday on its Web site that a separate track in Wisconsin remains out of service due to flood damage.