Hinckley Subdivision

The Hinckley Subdivision or Hinckley Sub is a railway line operated by BNSF Railway between Coon Rapids, Minnesota, and Boylston Junction between Foxboro and Superior, Wisconsin. Before the Burlington Northern merger of 1970, this line was formerly owned by Great Northern Railway. The line branches off to the north from the Staples Subdivision at Coon Creek Junction in Coon Rapids, and ends where it meets the Lakes Subdivision that brings the rails into Superior and Duluth, Minnesota. This is the only active rail line between Duluth–Superior and Minneapolis–Saint Paul, so the other Class I railroads operating in Minnesota, including Canadian Pacific, Canadian National and Union Pacific have at times acquired trackage rights on the route. As of May 2013, about 14 trains per day used the route.

The Hinckley Subdivision has also recently hosted steam train excursions in 2013, and planned 2014, in the form of Milwaukee Road 261. Passenger trains used this route until 1985 when Amtrak's North Star service ended. As of 2010, a proposed train dubbed the Northern Lights Express (NLX) is in planning stages. While the previous train was limited to between 50 and 79 miles per hour (80 and 127 km/h), the Northern Lights Express would run at up to 110 mph (180 km/h). The North Star stopped in Cambridge and Sandstone, and the NLX is also expected to stop in those cities as well as Hinckley.

Milepost 139.9 is at Coon Creek Junction.