UPDATE: The Mankato Free Press ran an article on the state and federal efforts to upgrade the Minnesota Prairie Line:

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. (more…)

 

Click here to read/hear MPR’s story on the Minnesota Prairie Line:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/05/05/short_line_railroads/?refid=0

On Friday, Terry and MnDOT Commissioner Thomas Sorel, DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy, MnDOT Project Manager Dave Christenson, and MnDOT Government Affairs Director Scott Peterson visited with local business and community leaders in Winthrop.  After touring the Minnesota Prairie Line, UFC, and Heartland Corn, the group moved to the Winthrop City Hall for a meeting with the rail coalition led by Rob Edwards.

 

KEYC coverage of the visit can be found on the City of Winthrop homepage:

 

http://www.winthropminnesota.com/

Representative Terry Morrow announces that Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Commissioner Thomas Sorel has agreed to visit Winthrop, Minnesota to discuss freight rail, the Minnesota Prairie Line, and MnDOT’s transportation planning process.

Friday, April 17
1:30-3:30 p.m.
Winthrop Veteran’s Club
206 N. Main Street
Winthrop, MN

Representative Morrow worked with the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Coalition and its chair, Rob Edwards, to set up the public meeting. The Minnesota Prairie Line (MPL) goes through five counties– Carver, Sibley, Renville, Redwood, and Yellow Medicine—along the 93.4 mile short line MPL. The MPL runs within one block of the Winthrop Veteran’s Club.

Working with the rail coalition has demonstrated that public and private individuals and groups can come together to rebuild our rails and build our economy. Commissioner Sorel’s visit is an exciting opportunity to hear about his vision for Minnesota’s transportation system and for our area to share our vision for the Minnesota Prairie Line.

The Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority received $3 million in the 2008 state bonding bill to replace rail and other improvements along the MPL. This year, the Minnesota House and Senate bonding committees heard bills from Representative Morrow and Senator Kathy Sheran to continue the improvements. The Minnesota House and Senate both include $5 million of bonding support in their Capital Investments (bonding) bills.

Freight rail encourages job growth as it reduces shipping costs. We have seen the fruit of our efforts as businesses such as Winfield Solutions are choosing to build their businesses along freight rail like the Minnesota Prairie Line. Commissioner Sorel’s leadership at MnDOT offers exciting confirmation that MnDOT includes freight rail in its plans for helping Minnesota create jobs.”

Representative Morrow is a member of the House Transportation Finance Committee and the House Transportation Policy and Oversight Committee. He serves on the MnDOT State Rail Plan policy committee, which will participate in creating Minnesota’s state rail plan by the end of 2009. More about the state rail plan process can be found at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/planning/railplan/

Terry testifies with the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority’s

Gene Short and Bruce Pinske

in support of Minnesota state bond support

for improving the Minnesota Prairie Line