This collection is a subgroup (Division) of the Montana Public Service Commission records, RS 501. The Transportation Division was renamed Transportation/Centralized Services Division, and eventually became just the Centralized Services Division. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Public Service Commission records.

These records consist predominantly of annual reports (1907-1980) made by railroads and express companies to the Montana Public Service Commission and its predecessor the Montana Board of Railroad Commissioners. The reports include a vast amount of data on the history, financing, corporate ownership, track mileage, freight shipment statistics, and other nationwide information of railroads doing business in Montana. Many of the reports are copies of the reports made to the federal Interstate Commerce Commission. For most companies there are two reports for 1916 (when they switched from a July-June reporting year to a January to December reporting year) and for 1918-1919 (when there was a report by the railroad and a report of World War I federal operations).

In addition there are railroad accident reports (1958-1974, predominantly 1969-1974). Included also are annual reports (1975) for motor carrier companies, including trucks, buses, taxies, etc. Two special reports are an engineering report (1919) of the Butte Electric Railway Company; and a report (1960) on railroad grade crossing elimination in Billings.