Both high-speed passenger and freight-rail opportunities for Rochester and southern Minnesota were included in the statewide rail plan released by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. For more information, read the related articles in the Star Tribune and the Post-Bulletin. You can also read a release from the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance regarding the report below.
Dec. 31, 2009
Bryan Anderson
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e-mail: bryan@semnrail.org
STATE RAIL PLAN INCLUDES HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER RAIL, STUDY OF FREIGHT IMPROVEMENTS FOR ROCHESTER
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance (Alliance) leaders said they are pleased that both freight and passenger rail priorities were included in the draft Comprehensive Statewide Rail Plan released today by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT). The Alliance has worked with Mn/DOT during the planning process to ensure the area’s rail priorities will be addressed.
“Rochester is one of the primary economic drivers for the entire state. With additional freight and passenger rail infrastructure, we can continue to expand economic opportunity for the next generation of Minnesotans,” says Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede. “We are pleased that Mn/DOT’s planning process has arrived at the same conclusion and is recommending further work to advance both freight and passenger rail opportunities for Rochester and southern Minnesota.”
Specifically, Mn/DOT’s plan outlines the following in regard to rail developments in Rochester:
- A high-speed passenger rail connection between the Twin Cities and Rochester is identified as a Phase I priority project.
- As a freight relocation project, further study of the Southern Rail corridor is recommended. The report states that “the issue of freight rail relocation will become increasingly important as the passenger rail network develops and as communities grow.”
Alliance members will continue to seek refinement of the data within the plan but believe it is a positive step to develop and advance a rail vision to serve the entire state. “While we believe a Rochester high-speed passenger line offers even greater ridership potential and economic return than reflected in Mn/DOT’s report, they have sent a clear message that the state’s third-largest city needs to be part of a statewide passenger rail system,” adds Olmsted County Commissioner Ken Brown.
Mn/DOT’s inclusion of a recommendation for further study of the Southern Rail Corridor around Rochester is an acknowledgment that capacity is likely to be an issue for the southeast region in the coming decades. As proponents of the new freight corridor proposal have always argued, the Southern Rail Corridor is intended as a starting point proposal. The additional analysis recommended by Mn/DOT will help local officials determine the final route that will best meet the needs of the entire community.
The release of the draft plan is another step in Mn/DOT’s planning process. The plan now will be vetted through a public comment period before it is finalized by Mn/DOT Commissioner Tom Sorel and presented to the Minnesota Legislature in February. The plan can be read by visiting http://www.dot.state.mn.us/planning/railplan/resources.html.
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The Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance is a group of businesses, government entities, civic organizations, and individuals working toward a 21st Century integrated rail vision to meet the freight and passenger rail needs of the entire region for generations to come. More information about the Alliance can be found by visiting http://semnrail.orgor on Facebook.
