Stimulus Aids in Improving Railroad (August 17, 2009)

Representative Terry Morrow has confirmed that the Minnesota Department of Transportation has allocated $2.5 million to rehabilitate the Minnesota Prairie Line.  These funds are part of Minnesota’s share of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds that the state received for transportation projects.  Minnesota’s initial allotment under ARRA of $503 million for transportation was devoted primarily to road and bridge work.  The Minnesota Prairie Line is the first Minnesota freight rail project to receive ARRA funding.

MnDOT’s investment of recovery money into fixing the Minnesota Prairie Line is a tremendous development.

On December 17, 2008, I contacted MnDOT to urge it to use some of the expected federal recovery transportation money to rehabilitate the state’s freight rail lines.  I reminded MnDOT that the Minnesota Prairie Line is a publicly owned rail line and that it is a shovel-ready project.  We continued to talk throughout the spring.  The news that the Minnesota Prairie Line will be upgraded with federal recovery money is a great conclusion to our efforts.

Investment of federal recovery money to fix the Minnesota Prairie Line culminates combined efforts of the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Coalition, the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority, the Twin Cities & Western Railroad, Congressman Tim Walz, and local officials.  Together, this group prepared and submitted materials to MnDOT demonstrating that the project was shovel-ready and would support economic development in the region.  In addition, the Coalition hosted MnDOT Commissioner Thomas Sorel and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Dan McElroy this spring to talk about the Minnesota Prairie Line and its current and future economic impact.

The past two years have demonstrated that a coalition of public officials, businesses, and citizens can come together to create economic opportunities.

In the past two years, we have secured $7 million in state bond funds, $2.5 million in federal recovery funds, and almost $1M in federal fund through Congressman Walz’s office.  I am confident that our team will continue its work and folks will see more and more jobs and businesses spring up along the line.

The Minnesota Prairie Line goes through five counties– Carver, Sibley, Renville, Redwood, and Yellow Medicine—along the 93.4 mile short line Minnesota Prairie Line.  The state and federal funding enables the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority to replace the century-old rail with stronger rail that allows for heavier loads and faster trains.

Press Release, July 10, 2009