MnDOT suspends Zip Rail work; awards study to private company

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has suspended its work on the proposed high-speed rail line project, Zip Rail, between the Twin Cities metropolitan area and Rochester, Minn., pending action by the Olmsted County Regional Railroad Authority next week.

 

Zip Rail was initiated as a partnership between MnDOT and Olmsted County to explore the feasibility of a high-speed rail connection that would serve anticipated travel demand between the state’s two largest economies. The recent completion of the Zip Rail Alternatives Analysis report identified eight possible alternatives; however, considerable additional public resources would be required in order for MnDOT to study the alternatives.

The Zip Rail’s projected benefits to the state include the creation of more than 11,000 new jobs and more than $1.6 billion per year in increased economic output, including individual income, tax revenue and user benefits.

Additionally, MnDOT issued permits to the North American High Speed Rail (NAHSR) company, which will begin a feasibility study in the near future for a high-speed rail line in southeastern Minnesota.

The NAHSR proposal would not require public funds to move forward. However, MnDOT officials noted that any high-speed rail project that is developed will need to follow federal and state regulations and provide public participation opportunities during development. NAHSR will further define the proposed project’s potential benefits to the region and state as it conducts its own feasibility study.

 

Tags: