12 May 2009
Southern Minnesota Railroad Dispute Untangled?
A possible solution to a railroad controversy that has
roiled southern Minnesota for more than a decade was unveiled, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Gov. Tim
Pawlenty, and Rep. Tim Walz announced a plan that could re-route freight train traffic away from downtown Rochester and
the Mayo Clinic.
If they are able to secure funding for relocating the rail line, it would defuse the long-running dispute over the
Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern railroad's plan to route massive coal-carrying freights from Wyoming's Powder River basin
to the Mississippi River.
Mayo officials have vehemently opposed the project because the current alignment of the tracks run within 100 feet of the clinic
(although four blocks from the nearest patient facility). Walz's opposition to the project in part contributed to his winning his
congressional seat in 2006.
Walz, Klobuchar, and Pawlenty met with Mayo officials to discuss the four possible funding sources for the new rail line: the
federal Surface Transportation Bill reauthorization, a loan application by the State of Minnesota to the Federal Railroad
Administration, federal stimulus money earmarked for transportation, and state-issued revenue bonds.
The controversy began when the DM&E proposed a major expansion through parts of southern Minnesota and South Dakota to haul coal
from Wyoming. In 2007, the DM&E lost its request for a US$2.3-billion federal loan to finance the project, but its
merger last year with the Canadian Pacific Railway appeared to put it back on track.
In a prepared statement, Walz was quoted as saying, "I will do everything in my power to preserve and protect the heart and soul
of the Mayo Clinic in southern Minnesota and to ensure that Mayo can continue to grow here in our state".
If money becomes available, the rail corridor would be built in a way that primarily supports freight but also could accommodate
high-speed passenger rail. State transportation officials are studying whether data would support routing a
high-speed rail route from Chicago through Winona into Rochester.
The new tracks would be located south of Rochester to ease safety concerns voiced by officials of the city and the
clinic.
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