A billionaire candy magnate has gone from staunchly opposing a Montana railroad that would have cut through his massive ranch to buying a one third share of it, shielding his property while potentially opening the state's vast coal fields to mining for export to Asia.

Forrest Mars Jr former chief executive of candy company Mars Inc previously helped bankroll opposition to the Tongue River Railroad from landowners and conservationists.

By buying into the proposed line, Mars said in a letter to his former allies in the fight against the railroad that he was blocking a section that would have stretched approximately 45 miles between the towns of Birney and Decker, which is near the Wyoming border. That segment would have passed for more than 7 miles through Mars 82,000 acre ranch.

Financial terms have not been disclosed, but the substance of the deal was outlined in a letter from Mars and documents filed with the federal Surface Transportation Board.

BNSF Railway and Arch Coal Inc also bought one third shares of the railway. Arch has leased more than a billion tons of coal near the proposed route from the state of Montana and Texas based Great Northern Properties.

(Sourced from The Associated Press)