Idaho Northern and Pacific Railroad

The Idaho Northern and Pacific Railroad (INPR), with its reporting mark INPR, is a modest railroad operating in the southwestern region of Idaho and eastern Oregon in the United States. The INPR oversees a network spanning 120 miles (190 km) of former Union Pacific Railroad branch lines and functions as a subsidiary of the Rio Grande Pacific Corp., headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The INPR's administrative offices are located in Emmett, Idaho
== Subdivisions ==
# Elgin Subdivision: This subdivision encompasses the segment running from La Grande to Elgin, covering a distance of approximately 21.5 miles (34.6 km). At Elgin, it connects with another former UP rail line now owned by Wallowa County, which extends to Joseph, Oregon.
# Payette Subdivision: This subdivision originates in Payette and traverses through Emmett, leading into the scenic canyon of the North Fork of the Payette River northward to Cascade. This section, known as the Thunder Mountain Subdivision, is considered the most picturesque stretch of the INPR. Although the Emmett to Cascade Thunder Mountain Subdivision was placed in OOS (Out of Service) status in 2016, it is essential to note that it has not been abandoned and remains under the ownership of the railroad. Moreover, it still maintains fully compliant railroad crossings and receives intermittent maintenance.
== Historical Perspective: ==
The origins of the INPR date back to the construction of the railroad's Oregon segment, initiated by the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company from 1888 to 1890. It extended from La Grande, Oregon to Elgin, Oregon, with the extension to Joseph, Oregon being completed in 1907 and coming under the control of the OSL. The Idaho portion of the railroad commenced as the Idaho Northern Railway, with construction commencing in 1900 from Nampa, Idaho to Emmett, Idaho. In 1912 to 1914, the line was further extended to Smiths Ferry, Idaho, and eventually, to McCall, Idaho. Separately, in 1902, the Payette Valley Railroad constructed a 30-mile-long (48 km) line from Payette to Emmett, which, along with the Idaho Northern, ultimately came under the ownership of the Union Pacific.
The Pacific and Idaho Northern Railway (P&IN Railway) was established in 1899, initiating construction from Weiser, Idaho to New Meadows, Idaho. It took 12 years for the construction to be completed by 1911, and this line remained independent from the Union Pacific until 1936 when it was acquired by the UP.
In 1980, the Union Pacific abandoned the trackage from McCall to Cascade, Idaho. In 1989, the UP made an attempt to sell all four lines in a package sale, although this effort ultimately fell through. In 1993, these four lines were put up for sale and were subsequently acquired by the Rio Grande Pacific Corporation in Texas who created the Idaho Northern and Pacific Railroad in 1994, established to operate these lines. In the following year, 1995, an agreement was reached between the INPR and UP to abandon the 85-mile (137 km) Weiser to Rubicon line. This move was primarily due to a notable decline in rail traffic, rendering it financially unsustainable. In 1997, the mill in Joseph, Oregon ceased operations, leading to the initiation of abandonment procedures. However, this was averted when the counties of Wallowa and Union, Oregon, jointly acquired the line from Elgin to Joseph with the aim of preserving it for potential future use. This particular line would later serve as the route for the Wallowa Union Railroad's Eagle Cap excursion train.
In 2001, the Boise Cascade mill in Cascade closed down, marking the end of all freight services from Emmett northward. The INPR briefly leased the UP Boise Branch, connecting Boise, Idaho to the Union Pacific main line at Nampa, and the Wilder branch line from Caldwell, Idaho to Wilder, Idaho. This lease arrangement commenced in 1999 and continued until 2009, at which point the Boise Valley Railroad took over operations. This change may have been influenced by the economic downturn following the post-housing boom recession.
From 1998 until January 2016, the INPR operated the Thunder Mountain Line, a tourist railroad spanning from Horseshoe Bend to Cascade. The Thunder Mountain Line offered a range of scenic tours, dinner trains, and "river and rail" journeys along the Payette River. These unique excursions allowed passengers to travel northbound on a train and return southward by river raft along the Payette.
Category:Short Lines
Category:Shortline Railroads