This railway was built in 1905 by the Dakota and Great Northern Railroad, and connected the communities of Towner and Maxbass. In 1907, the line was sold to the Great Northern Railway, which was then later merged into the Burlington Northern.

The route was abandoned in stages:

• Dunning to Maxbass abandoned in 1971
• Newburg to Dunning in 1981
• Towner to Newburg in 1993