Looks like MN is getting more overpriced, underutilized, and not profitable passanger rail service.

Not even a remote pipedream of this even being close to breaking even.

4 trains a day.  LMFAO!

Half a billion just to get the shit show going on a route that would far better be served by Megabus.  

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/politics/duluth-train-in-the-hands-of-minnesota-lawmakers/89-c957d964-38f9-4681-87f5-8e5d8828d74e

Quote

ST PAUL, Minn. — Those who’ve dreamed of riding a train from the Twin Cities to Duluth are closer than ever to seeing that happen, thanks to the new federal Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2021. It could mean the restoration of regular passenger rail service along that corridor for the first time since 1985.

The law passed by Congress and signed late last year by President Biden set aside $66 billion for rail projects, with $16 billion of that dedicated to intercity links like the proposed Northern Lights Express in Minnesota.

"The Northern Lights Express is shovel ready and there’s now shovel-ready money from the new infrastructure law," explained Ken Buehler, who chairs the technical advisory committee for the NLX Alliance.  "We are within reach, the closest we have ever been."

The plan, which has been in the works for decades, calls for daily Amtrak service between Target Field and the Duluth Depot, with stops in Coon Rapids, Cambridge and Hinckley. There would be four trips per day in each direction, with trips taking roughly two and a half hours.

The trains will run on existing freight lines but the money is needed for upgrades to tracks and rail bridges, and for building passenger stations and track sidings.

Link: to MNDOT Northern Lights Express website

"It is the line that carried passenger trains in the past and will again in the future," Buehler remarked. "It is not a light rail project. It is not a transit project like North Star. It is not dependent on commuters to make the numbers."

The project has already been through a thorough environmental review and has received a critical Finding of No Significant Impact, or FONSI, from the Federal Railroad Administration. Buehler said the Northern Lights Express is the only intercity rail proposal in the nation that is that far along in the permitting process.

That greatly increases the odds the Northern Lights Express will get the green light for federal funding to cover 80% of the $435 million project. The remaining 20% local match, which equates to $85 million, would need to come from the Minnesota Legislature.

 

I think it’s great 

More wasted money.  But we can't cut taxes according to one of the dipshits who posted.

Edited April 7, 20223 yr by racer254

$435 million will turn into billions and years late, much like the light rail additions currently being built. 

 

Four trips per day? Serious?

I think it's a great use of the funds. No new tracks, standard rails. They need to run lines and make it electric.

On 4/7/2022 at 7:12 PM, akvanden said:

$435 million will turn into billions and years late, much like the light rail additions currently being built. 

 

Four trips per day? Serious?

Speaking of the Ghetto Railz.

They need ANOTHER 500 million to keep the SWLR going.

Most places so far are leaving this the hell alone in favor of digging in to anything Scott Jensen instead.

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/report-500m-funding-gap-remains-for-southwest-light-rail

Sad not to modernize the rails and run freight again.

UPS is the biggest bunch of bastards the world has ever seen to work for.  But, they know logistics....

Canada mandates putting containers on railroads lessening congestion on the roads.

We had a cost competitive system, with over paid staff...

Time to modernize rail shipping with shipping containers, fast &; efficient transfers from rail to truck to distribution centers....

Kind of being green, burning less diesel fuel and less road wear and tear.

4 runs a day is a joke for commuting....

4 minutes ago, ICG said:

Sad not to modernize the rails and run freight again.

UPS is the biggest bunch of bastards the world has ever seen to work for.  But, they know logistics....

Canada mandates putting containers on railroads lessening congestion on the roads.

We had a cost competitive system, with over paid staff...

Time to modernize rail shipping with shipping containers, fast &; efficient transfers from rail to truck to distribution centers....

Kind of being green, burning less diesel fuel and less road wear and tear.

4 runs a day is a joke for commuting....

They could accomplish the same thing running like 6 or 8 busses at a small fraction of the cost, and be 10,000% more flexible. 

But no, we need to have trains, because...

On 4/7/2022 at 8:22 PM, Big Crappie said:

I think it's a great use of the funds. No new tracks, standard rails. They need to run lines and make it electric.

Electric is coming here soon. The issue with trains is the speed but city parking costs are insane so they have become more popular.

On 4/7/2022 at 7:46 PM, f7ben said:

I think it’s great 

Hopefully a bunch of dirty Somalis come up to visit you.

3 minutes ago, ford_428cj said:

Hopefully a bunch of dirty Somalis come up to visit you.

Thanks Ford , you sure are an intelligent individual !!! 

On 4/7/2022 at 5:16 PM, racinfarmer said:

Looks like MN is getting more overpriced, underutilized, and not profitable passanger rail service.

Not even a remote pipedream of this even being close to breaking even.

4 trains a day.  LMFAO!

Half a billion just to get the shit show going on a route that would far better be served by Megabus.  

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/politics/duluth-train-in-the-hands-of-minnesota-lawmakers/89-c957d964-38f9-4681-87f5-8e5d8828d74e

 

Add that to the already 500million over budget metro train boondoggle that thete is no money left to finish I think they need another 50 million . Fed won't give more state won't give more the liberal fucks at MET council who got us in to this unwanted shit storm have to come up with the cash . And the contractors litteraly  lol when asked if 50 million will wrap it up .

This is what happens when you give a unelected body this much power with zero fucking oversite . Guess no one learned from the metro dome experience.  Of the trains that 12 people ride around the city .or the millions in public housing that get tore down and rebuilt every fucking yr .or city's no longer having a option but to pump thete shit to Minneapolis to get treated and dumped in to the Mississippi.  Etc etc . Fucking met council is the perfect example of liberal govenment with no checks in place. 

On 4/7/2022 at 6:46 PM, f7ben said:

I think it’s great 

Why? It's a fucking wast there is a reason amtrack stoped service in 85

I was on that train at least 3 times a yr in the 80s and it was always empty . It will always be empty now . There are fucking shuttle busses ever hr on the hr from duluth to the metro . Think those people will take a train and then wait around for 3 hrs for there flight ? No they will jump on the shuttle that gets there on there schedule.  Same reason any one with a car won't ride a bus to work who has any chance of getting off early or late . 

Idiots at met council approved a fucking 4 story parking ramp/ bus stop in my town of 3k people . In 6 yrs I have never seen more than 1 level of cars in that ramp and those are on days with a game down town or they are running a fair shuttle.  

Just a fuckig joke 

7 minutes ago, Ez ryder said:

Idiots at met council approved a fucking 4 story parking ramp/ bus stop in my town of 3k people . In 6 yrs I have never seen more than 1 level of cars in that ramp and those are on days with a game down town or they are running a fair shuttle.  

Just a fuckig joke 

Created to provide better wastewater treatment in the late 60’s, and now planning trains to Duluth… Seems legit. 

9 hours ago, Dieselgeek said:

Created to provide better wastewater treatment in the late 60’s, and now planning trains to Duluth… Seems legit. 

Late 60s ? Fuck it was less than a decade ago that the west metro had to shut down all there local treatment facility's mo matter how modern and start pumping shit to a 100 yr old building  North East Minneapolis . So again proves there incompetence took almost 50 yrs to implement there mandates 

Edited September 4, 20222 yr by Ez ryder

We worked on a project in quad cities that was supposed to be part of a high speed rail from quad cities to Chicago. That was 8 years ago. Still no high speed rail.

10 hours ago, Ez ryder said:

Add that to the already 500million over budget metro train boondoggle that thete is no money left to finish I think they need another 50 million . Fed won't give more state won't give more the liberal fucks at MET council who got us in to this unwanted shit storm have to come up with the cash . And the contractors litteraly  lol when asked if 50 million will wrap it up .

This is what happens when you give a unelected body this much power with zero fucking oversite . Guess no one learned from the metro dome experience.  Of the trains that 12 people ride around the city .or the millions in public housing that get tore down and rebuilt every fucking yr .or city's no longer having a option but to pump thete shit to Minneapolis to get treated and dumped in to the Mississippi.  Etc etc . Fucking met council is the perfect example of liberal govenment with no checks in place. 

I had a employee that would use only their bike and public transportation to get to and from work. 

2+ hours each way and they didn't even get 8 hours in because they'd have to make some bus/Northstar/Lightrail/Bus/Bike combo work for them.

Needless to say, they didn't make it too long.

They were some super-lib too and refused to drive and live a "carbon-light" lifestyle.  Good thing they worked "local" to fit their lifestyle, hypocrite.  

11 hours ago, racinfarmer said:

I had a employee that would use only their bike and public transportation to get to and from work. 

2+ hours each way and they didn't even get 8 hours in because they'd have to make some bus/Northstar/Lightrail/Bus/Bike combo work for them.

Needless to say, they didn't make it too long.

They were some super-lib too and refused to drive and live a "carbon-light" lifestyle.  Good thing they worked "local" to fit their lifestyle, hypocrite.  

Well you know that diesel  burning to generate electric for a full size locomotive to pull 2 or 3 cars each less than 1/8th full is deff the most environmentally friendly way to go . Evey one knows that