The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) said it has awarded nearly $4.5 million to five projects across the state that will improve freight rail service.
Part of the Minnesota Rail Service Improvement (MRSI) Program, the awards will help organizations with freight rail infrastructure projects connecting Minnesota goods and commodities to regional and international markets. Since 2017, MRSI has provided $28.6 million in program grants to fund 21 freight rail infrastructure projects.
“These projects strengthen Minnesota’s freight rail network and provide critical connections which help move Minnesota goods and products to markets more efficiently,” MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger said. “Investing in freight rail infrastructure supports economic growth in communities across the state.”
Among the projects receiving funding are Cloquet Terminal Railroad Co., Inc. which will receive $840,000 to upgrade 2,500 feet of aging track to new, heavier-duty track and to renew two switch points on the Cloquet Terminal Railroad’s mainline connection.
Minnesota Northern Railroad will receive $750,000 to extend its Minnesota Northern Rail Terminal into the Crookston Industrial Park, installing more than 2,600 feet of new track and adding a switch to the existing track.
And Lake Agassiz Bean, LLC will receive $900,000 to install a mainline turnout, 2,487 feet of new track, safety equipment and a concrete loading area to help load product into railcars more efficiently.
Officials said the most recent round of MRSI funding included $1 million in bond funding appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature during last year’s legislative session, and $3.5 million in existing bond funding from previous years.