Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance

Star Tribune Endorses Rochester Route

Today’s Star Tribune editorial predicts opportunities for Minnesota to influence the region’s high-speed passenger rail route in light of setbacks in Wisconsin. The editorial says: “Despite the setback, there could be an opportunity for Minnesota to have increased influence on the eventual route. If so, every effort should be made to route trains through Rochester.”

Olmsted County Action Moves Rail Planning Forward

Yesterday, the Olmsted County Board took an important step in advancing our community's approach to rail planning. The County allocated $100,000 in funding from its existing budget to support initial planning and analysis of Olmsted County's freight and passenger rail options.

Rail Alliance Applauds President's Committment to High-Speed Passenger Rail

The White House has announced that it will include funding for a Twin Cities to Chicago route for high-speed passenger rail. This, combined with the Minnesota Department of Transportation's decision to  explore several route possibilities for the Minnesota portion of the route is positive news for Southeast Minnesota.

Read the entire release from the Alliance below.

State Rail Plan Includes High-Speed Passenger, Study of Freight Rail for Rochester

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.

Rochester High-Speed Passenger Rail a Top Priority for State

A high-speed passenger rail line between the Twin Cities and Rochester is a Phase I project for the state. This according to a technical memorandum published by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

An Integrated Vision for the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance

On October 29, Dr. Glenn Forbes lead a presentation about the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance's integrated rail vision, which focuses on both passenger and freight rail.

New Study Gains Media Attention Across Minnesota

The release of the new TEMS study showing the strong advantages and benefits of a Rochester Route for high-speed passenger rail between Chicago and the Twin Cities has gained the attention of media across Minnesota. Click on the links below to read the full articles.

New Study: Rochester High-Speed Rail Route Delivers Greatest Benefits

A Twin Cities to Chicago high-speed passenger rail route serving Rochester will perform better than a route along the Mississippi River on nearly every competitive factor, according to a report relesed today. Read more in the following news release and at http://www.semnrail.org/studies.html.

Owatonna Area Chamber Endorses Exploring Rochester Route

The Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism has passed a resolution in support of conducting an objective study of possible passenger rail routes between Chicago and the Twin Cities.

Walz Puts in Support for Railroad Bypass Plan

Excerpts from a Rochester Post Bulletin article:

"U.S. Rep. Tim Walz is 'incredibly pleased to support' a Rochester railroad bypass proposal, he told a group of business leaders this morning."