MnDOT Working To Improve Rail System

DULUTH - The demand for rail is buckling in the Midwest, and top transportation officials say Minnesota needs to pick up the pace and get on track with cities like Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit."There are good examples around the country of what we can do with rail traffic," said MnDOT Rail Plan Project Manager Dave Christianson. MnDOT officials held a meeting Monday to ask Duluthians what needs to be improved in area railways. The push comes at a time when Minnesota trains have shipped more coal and ore this year than in railroad history. On the commuter side, MnDOT is pushing full steam ahead for that high-speed train from Duluth to the Twin Cities."It's been a total change of mindset and cooperation since last winter," explained Christianson. Major accidents like the oil explosion in North Dakota last year and the derailment in Two Harbors has triggered law makers to crack down and make rail laws stricter."We're spending money on the state level, public money to make the tracks safer, to make the grade crossing safer," Christianson said. While officials are still concerned about safety with freight trains, many Northlanders are still wondering about the Northern Lights Express and when it’s going to happen. "This currently is our number two project,” said Christianson. “Number one project being service from Chicago to the Twin Cities." Leaders with MnDOT admit they're behind the times when it comes to train travel, and moving forward with plans for a high speed train from Duluth to Minneapolis is the right way to go."That big wait at the beginning -- and then it's starting to move along quicker now," said the director of the St. Louis/ Lake County Regional Rail Authority, Bob Manzoline. It's taken nearly 20 years, but studies on the feasibility and ridership numbers on the route from Duluth to Minneapolis are wrapping up and should be released in January."It's a number everybody's been waiting for,” said Manzoline. “We're getting pretty excited." If the billion dollars in federal funding falls into place, construction of the Northern Lights Express should start in 2018 and pick up the first passengers in 2020."It would be great if we could sit in the train for two hours read a book, be on Wi-Fi on the computer, get some work done and relax on the way up," Christianson said. Plans for the passenger train are part of Minnesota’s big picture rail plan which will be finalized in February. Once that's done, they'll be looking for some major funding to make big changes.If you missed the meeting and would still like to give input, click here.