“High Speed Rail Implementation - An Update on

Passenger Rail Planning Activities in Minnesota.” 

presented by:Minnesota Department of Transportation

March 2, 2011

Presentation Overview

• Federal High Speed Rail Program Update

• State Rail Plan Implementation

• Passenger Rail Development Activities Update

• Governance and Funding Project

• Questions

National High Speed Rail Network – 6 Yr. Plan• Goal : Passenger rail system featuring high speed rail service to

80% of Americans within 25 years

• Announced Feb. 15th, $53 billion, $8 billion FFY’12 – split between new projects and upgrades to existing service

• Develop three types of corridors:– Core express - backbone of the national system, speeds of

125- 250 mph– Regional – crucial regional service laying foundation for future

higher speed service, speeds of 90-125 mph– Emerging- emerging rail corridors with access to the larger

national and intercity network, speeds up to 90 mph

State Rail Plan•Awarded 2010 National Transportation Planning Excellence Award from the U.S. DOT and the American Planning Association in July 2010

• First statewide freight and passenger rail plan developed in Minnesota

•Extensive public involvement

•Submitted to FRA in February 2010

Priority Passenger Rail Projects Identified in the State Rail Plan

• Develop a robust intrastate and interstate passenger rail system in Minnesota

• High speed service (up to 110mph) between the Twin Cities –Milwaukee-Chicago, Twin Cities and Duluth; Twin Cities and Rochester

• Enhanced conventional passenger rail service (up to 90mph) from the Twin Cities to St. Cloud, Moorhead, Mankato, Eau Claire, and between Mpls. and St. Paul

• Advance projects incrementally and simultaneously as demand warrants and funding is identified

Phase I Projects (2010-2030) Phase II Projects (Future Expansion)Other Freight Lines

Milwaukee to Twin Cities High Speed Rail Corridor Development Work

Passenger Rail Development Activities Update

• Twin Cities to Chicago HSR Corridor– Awarded ARRA funds late February 2010

• $1.2 million Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Milwaukee To Twin Cities

– Negotiations with FRA• statement of work, public involvement plan, contract issues• information prepared by the MWRRI

– Cooperative agreements with Wisconsin and FRA

Twin Cities to Milwaukee High Speed Rail Corridor Tier 1 EIS Study

• “Tiered EIS objective is to evaluate potential intercity passenger rail route alternatives at the corridor level and will result in a service development plan for the corridor.” (FRA Notice of Intent, November 2010)

• Alternatives to be evaluated and analyzed in the EIS:– No Build alternative– Steel wheel on steel rail high speed train service

Fourteen Routes Being Evaluated as “Build Alternatives”

Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement

• For the selected alternative identified in the Tier 1 EIS:– Determine what best meets the purpose and need– Identify environmental consequences and measures

necessary to mitigate environmental impacts in site specific detail

• Prepare draft EIS– Public and agency review and comments

• Prepare and submit to FRA final EIS

Twin Cities to Chicago Project Timeline

• Milwaukee to Twin Cities Segment:– Tier 1 environmental documentation 2010 - 2011– Tier 2 EIS / Preliminary Engineering 2011 - 2013– Design/ Construction 2013 – 2015

• Twin Cities to Chicago Service begins - 2015 - 2016*Subject to funding availability, successful negotiations with railroads, securing necessary federal approvals, minimal

environmental mitigation factors, ability to secure necessary R/W, identified operating and maintenance funding, equipment availability, and continued legislative support.

*

Northern Lights Express

• The Northern Lights Express - to re-establish regional passenger rail service from Duluth to Minneapolis– track and signal improvements – modern rail trains with speeds up to 110 mph.– travel time for the 155-mile route of approximately two hours 17

minutes each way.– four to eight round trips per day

Northern Lights Express

• Current Status:• In 2008 the FRA, State and NLX Alliance provided a

funding to prepare environmental documentation. • Work began in 2009 and will be complete this summer• Preliminary engineering, design work could begin this

fall• Service could commence in 2014-15

Rochester HSR Corridor• State Rail Plan identifies need for new connection

to Rochester• Implement 110 mph service between Rochester and the Twin

Cities via a green field alignment. • Project development timeline is substantially longer to

completed – Environmental work will be comprehensive – Extensive R/W required.– Access into suburban Metro and to MSP will be complex

• Initial discussions on process and project requirements have occurred with the FRA.

Passenger Rail Facilities

• St. Paul Union Depot– Multimodal hub– Amtrak’s return 2012

• Minneapolis Transportation

Interchange– Multimodal facility– Adjacent to the Twins Stadium– Completed by 2014

Governance and Funding Project

Governance and Funding• No formal governance structure or sustainable funding

sources for passenger rail in Mn.• What structure is necessary to build and operate a nine-

state system?• What are the roles of the various interests (local, county

governments, railroads, advocates)?• What funding options exist to implement state supported

services?

Governance

• Governance model unique to Minnesota– Statutory, constitutional regulatory issues

• Roles of internal partners– State – design, build, secure equipment, rail negotiations– RRAs and local governments – advocacy, momentum,

station area planning and economic development

• Relationship to partner states of the MWRRI– Cross route subsidization, shared equipment

Funding

• Capital vs. operations and maintenance– No federal operating assistance

• Funding tools and strategies– Best practices– Methods currently

• Necessary legislative actions

• Interim funding strategy

Governance and Funding

• Passenger Rail Forum -Workshops on 11/8,12/13, and 3/7

• Mn/DOT Mgmt. Team input

• Summary documents, Final Report

• New administration / legislative leaders briefing

• Work completed by 3/1/11

Questions?

Questions ?