Adding a second Amtrak train between Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul has a potential economic return of $25 million for Minnesota, according to a Rail Passengers Association assessment.
“Amtrak’s study showed that new service was possible and feasible, but we wanted to take the next step to examine why the new service would provide a benefit,” Jim Mathews, Rail Passengers president and CEO, said. “What we found was a strong case for implementing a second daily train between Chicago and the Twin Cities, which would carry about 155,000 passengers at a cost ratio comparable to other short-distance corridors while generating strong returns on investment. It would also take many thousands of cars off the region’s busy highways.”
The association estimates 60 percent of new rail riders, approximately 90,000 people, previously will have commuted via car, Mathews said.
A second train would bring additional benefits to the state including saving $20.8 million on highway maintenance and congestion costs, adding $2.9 million to the state’s economy, and saving $1.3 million from a decrease in traffic accidents.
The tristate area of Minnesota Illinois and Wisconsin would see an economic return of $47 million annually. Other benefits include saving $120,000 through pollution abatement and saving $1.8 million from a decrease in traffic accidents.