By Railfan & Railroad Staff

MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana Rail Link will have a new president before its likely demise in 2023. On Friday, the railroad announced that Joe Racicot, the railroad’s current vice president of administration and general counsel, will replace Derek Ollmann effective immediately. 

Ollmann, who has been president of MRL since 2019 and came from sister-railroad Southern Railway of British Columbia, has been named president of another Washington Companies outfit, Seaspan Marine Transportation.

“While it saddens me to be leaving the MRL family, I am confident that MRL will continue to provide world-class customer service while maintaining its focus on safety,” Ollmann said. “After working with Joe these last few years, I know he’s ready for the challenge of leading MRL through its next phase.”

Racicot first arrived at MRL in 2015 as general counsel and was promoted to vice president of administration in 2019. 

Earlier this year, MRL announced it was terminating its lease of trackage owned by BNSF Railway. The Class I is expected to take over the regional railroad sometime during the second quarter of 2023.