North Star Rail Intermodal (NSRI) in Montevideo, Minnesota, has since April commenced operating an "Intermodal Grain Train."

By the end of June, over 800 containers had been loaded and shipped internationally from the company's high-speed rail terminal in Montevideo. Additionally, there are over 1,200 containers ready to be shipped in the next 90 days, reported the US-based Grain Journal.

The grain and grain products shipped overseas originate in western Minnesota and the eastern Dakotas via truck and bulk rail. The products are loaded in federally inspected sealed containers. The new shipping method is said to have lowered shipping costs for international buyers and increased the value of locally produced products.

The destinations of the loaded products have so far mainly been to Asia, including Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. China and Europe are among the countries that will begin receiving shipments in the near future from North Star Rail Intermodal.

In 2006, 4.1 million containers of manufactured and agricultural commodities were said to have been exported from the United States to Europe and Asia. It is the fastest growing form of transport in the large grain export sector. It is estimated that these volumes will double or even triple in future, the report added.