Projects in Minnesota
Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison-St. Paul
Governor Scott Walker rejected over $800 million in Recovery Act funds to extend the Chicago - Milwaukee Amtrak service to Madison. The funds were distributed to other states in the U.S., primarily California and Florida. Service was expected to begin by 2013, with an initial 6 round-trips per day.
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Chicago-Twin Cities via Rochester
The Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance has advocated that a new passenger line be developed from Chicago to Minneapolis via Rochester using a mix of existing and new tracks in Minnesota. Their estimated cost for developing their “Greenfield corridor,” as well as a freight bypass around Rochester (the Southern Rail Corridor) is around $900 million. The estimated cost of a 200 mph passenger line from Chicago to Minneapolis via Rochester is $7 billion according to the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance’s study. Link to Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance website
Rochester-Twin Cities 110 mph project
Minnesota's state rail plan states that Rochester, as a regional center, needs a direct connection to the Twin Cities. If the state commits the resources to the project, the plan would be to acquire right-of-way that would initially support 110-mph service between Rochester and the Twin Cities but that could accommodate higher speeds in the future. Minnesota Congressman Tim Walz has requested $2 million in federal funding to study the feasibility of this line.
St. Paul Union Depot Renovation Project
The Union Depot project will comprise an intermodal facility linking several existing transportation services (including Amtrak, Greyhound and Jefferson Lines intercity buses, and local buses) as well as future services (including the Central Corridor light rail line and high-speed trains). The $243-million, 2-year construction project is expected to commence in January 2011. The project received a $35 million federal TIGER grant in 2010. Link to Ramsey County Regional Rail News website
Northstar Commuter Rail
Northstar began operation in the 40-mile corridor from Minneapolis’ downtown to Big Lake in November 2009. Planning for an extension to St. Cloud is underway. Link to Northstar website
Red Rock Corridor Commuter Rail
The Red Rock Corridor is a planned 30-mile commuter rail line from Hastings, Minnesota through the Union Depot in St Paul and on to Minneapolis. The corridor shares track with one of the proposed MWRRI alignments between the Twin Cities and Chicago. Improvements in this corridor will result in a 3-for-1 public investment in commuter rail, Amtrak modernization and the freight network and will allow for the streamlining of planning and construction. Current efforts include building the ridership base through enhanced bus service and the construction of park-and-rides to serve buses in the interim and trains in the long-term. The recent success of the Northstar corridor will serve as a model for moving this project forward. Link to Red Rock Corridor website
Dan Patch Corridor
The Dan Patch Corridor gained support in the late 1990’s and was named a Tier I project by MN DOT (along with Northstar and Red Rock), but a “gag rule” was placed on the project in 2002 by the Minnesota State Senate as a result of objections to the project from several communities. The project has since been dormant, though currently there have been attempts at a state level to revive it.
Minneapolis-Duluth
The Proposed Northern Lights Express train would travel from Minneapolis to Duluth via Coon Rapids, Cambridge, Hinckley, and Superior, a 155-mile long corridor. Speeds would reach a maximum of 110 mph along the existing BNSF trackage. The estimated cost of the new service, which would include several daily trains, is estimated at between $75 and $300 million. Link to Northern Lights Express website
