Devils Lake (Causeway)

The Devils Lake Causeway is where BNSF's Northern Transcon route—the old Great Northern Railway's Hi-Line—rides a raised embankment through the expanded flood waters of Devils Lake. This is primarily single-track territory, and the Devils Lake Subdivision contains the longest stretch of single track along the entire Empire Builder corridor at 27 miles. That single-track constraint means meets between opposing freights are scheduled at passing sidings, so patient railfans may witness the drama of a loaded grain train holding in a siding while a westbound intermodal rolls past on the main.

The viewing experience here is defined by water and sky. The rail embankment was raised five feet over approximately 9 miles during a massive 2012 reconstruction project, placing the tracks just above the lake's surface. Trains appear to glide across the water, an effect amplified on calm days when reflections double the image. Access is via US Highway 2, which parallels the BNSF line through the Devils Lake area. Park safely on wide gravel shoulders and walk to positions with clear sightlines. The terrain is flat and open—no fences, no overpasses, just prairie, water, and rail.

Devils Lake is North Dakota's largest natural body of water, and its dramatic expansion defines the landscape here. The lake grew from roughly 44,000 acres in 1993 to over 211,000 acres by 2011, when water levels peaked at 1,454.4 feet above sea level—submerging roads, displacing hundreds of homes, and threatening the very railroad embankment railfans now stand beside. What was once dry prairie is now open water lapping at the rip-rap of the raised rail bed.

The setting is quintessential northern Great Plains: shortgrass prairie stretching to flat horizons, cattail marshes fringing the lakeshore, and enormous skies that shift from crystalline blue to towering thunderhead anvils in summer. Red-winged blackbirds call from the reeds, and the lake supports populations of walleye, northern pike, and white bass—Devils Lake bills itself as the "Perch Capital of the World." Summer temperatures reach the mid-70s °F, but the region is exposed to sustained prairie winds. Winter brings sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow, though the frozen lake and snow-covered embankment create stark, photogenic compositions for hardy visitors.

The causeway sits on the BNSF Devils Lake Subdivision, which runs from DL Switch (Milepost 0) to Surrey (Milepost 196) and forms part of BNSF's Northern Transcon corridor linking the Pacific Northwest to Chicago via the northern Great Plains. This route is a critical artery for grain shipments originating across North Dakota—agricultural products account for approximately 70% of the state's total originating rail freight. Expect to see unit grain trains, intermodal doublestack consists, mixed manifest freight, and occasional crude-oil-related traffic.

Amtrak's Empire Builder (Trains 7 westbound and 8 eastbound) provides one daily passenger train in each direction. Note that the Empire Builder passes through Devils Lake late at night, so daytime visitors will primarily see freight operations. BNSF temporarily suspended freight traffic on the 19-mile segment between Devils Lake and Churchs Ferry from 2009 to 2013 due to flooding, though Amtrak maintained service throughout that period. Since the completion of the $100 million track raise project in 2012, full freight and passenger operations have resumed.

The flat, open terrain around the causeway provides multiple photographic opportunities. The embankment's five-foot raise above the surrounding water level means trains are slightly elevated against the lake backdrop—ideal for capturing the "train on water" effect that makes this location special. Morning light favors eastbound (Chicago-bound) consists, with the sun behind the photographer illuminating locomotive noses and grain hopper flanks. Late afternoon and sunset shots work best for westbound trains, creating dramatic silhouettes and golden light on the water.

A standard zoom in the 24–70mm range captures full-length trains framed by water on both sides. Longer focal lengths (200mm+) compress the scene, making locomotives appear to skim the lake's surface and accentuating heat shimmer on warm days. For winter photography, mid-day low sun angles bounce off ice and snow, producing high-contrast images. The 300-foot concrete boarding platform at the recently renovated Devils Lake station (completed October 2025) offers another vantage point closer to town, though the causeway itself provides the most dramatic water-framed compositions.

The railroad arrived at Devils Lake in 1883, built by the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway (commonly called the Manitoba Railroad) as it pushed westward from Grand Forks toward Minot and eventually the Pacific coast. The Manitoba became the Great Northern Railway in 1889, and the GN made Devils Lake a passenger and freight division point, building machine shops, a roundhouse, and a cattle yard. In 1907, the GN constructed the brick depot that still stands today at a cost of approximately $50,000.

The line's most dramatic chapter began in the 1990s when above-average precipitation and agricultural drainage patterns caused Devils Lake to rise relentlessly. By 2011, the lake had expanded to over five times its 1993 size, threatening to submerge the rail line entirely. BNSF suspended freight operations on 19 miles of track between Devils Lake and Churchs Ferry from 2009 to 2013. On June 15, 2011, BNSF, Amtrak, and the North Dakota DOT agreed to a $100 million reconstruction—each party funding one-third—including a $10 million federal TIGER grant. The project raised the rail bed five feet over approximately 9 miles and installed 55.5 miles of continuously welded replacement rail. Construction ran from June to December 2012, preserving a vital segment of the Northern Transcon for future generations. In October 2025, Amtrak completed a separate $4.5 million station improvement at Devils Lake, installing a new 300-foot concrete boarding platform with snowmelt system and LED lighting.

The Devils Lake Causeway offers something almost no other railfan location in the Great Plains can: trains crossing open water. The combination of BNSF's raised embankment cutting through North Dakota's largest natural lake creates a visual effect more commonly associated with coastal rail routes or Swiss lake crossings than the American prairie. The $100 million infrastructure investment to save this line from rising floodwaters is itself a remarkable engineering story—few rail corridors in the U.S. have required such dramatic intervention in recent decades.

The location's isolation from urban clutter is another distinguishing factor. There are no warehouses, billboards, or suburban development to intrude on the frame—just trains, water, and sky. The acoustics over the lake amplify rail sounds, carrying the rumble of approaching trains across the water well before they're visible. For railfans interested in infrastructure history, this is a rare example of a Class I railroad physically rebuilding its right-of-way against an advancing natural water body.