Most of the Central Montana trackage was acquired by the State of Montana in 1983 when its then-current operator, the Burlington Northern Railroad, discontinued operation of the route. Central Montana Rail, a locally governed nonprofit corporation, began operating the route in 1985.
In 1983, the state of Montana took over most of the Central Montana rail network from its previous operator, Burlington Northern Railroad. This led to Central Montana Rail, a local non-profit organization, taking control of the route in 1985.