Great Northern (GN) Surrey Cutoff

(Satellite, the cutoff was about a straight line between Surrey and Fargo.)

The original route, and the passenger route, paralleled I-29 to Grand Forks and then went West.

In the early 20th century, after decades of being the only long-distance transportation option, the railroads were rich enough to elevate their tracks in cities and build better routes in the country.

Great Northern Railway Historical Society posted

This date in Great Northern Railway History- October 2nd, 1912:

The Surrey Cut-Off opens for traffic.  Running at a diagonal from Surrey (Just east of Minot) to Fargo shaved off 52 miles from the original transcontinental route through Grand Forks and Devils Lake.  

This route enabled the GN to run fast passenger and freight, without much in the way local traffic (save for grain).  There were no significantly sized towns along this except New Rockford. 

The Great Northern's Empire Builder historically ran on Great Northern's Surrey Cutoff, while Western Star kept to the original route through Grand Forks, Devils Lake, and Rugby. 

After Amtrak's inception, the Western Star was eliminated and the Empire Builder, retained by Amtrak, was routed on the original route, leaving the Surrey Cut Off to be fright only, as it is today by BNSF.

Kevin Willie: Now todays BNSF KO Sub