Farm commodity rail shipments have been running nearly three weeks behind in North Dakota however Burlington Northern Santa Fe has promised to get caught up before summer hits.  BNSF officials also wrote Senator Heidi Heitkamp and said they’re pumping $ 250 million into rail upgrades.  North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne says it’s good they’re trying to address the problem but thinks it may not come in time to help this year.

Watne says what concerns him is that agriculture has taken a back seat to other industries in priorities for rail service.

Senator Heitkamp meanwhile has voiced concern that rail delays are causing big increases in shipping costs for farm products and some in the ag industry will continue to be forced to use trucks to get those products moving.