A proposed passenger rail service that will go from the Twin Cities in Minnesota to Milwaukee and on to Chicago hit a major progress point this week with the release of its Purpose and Need statement.
The 418-mile rail project is meant to supplement an existing Amtrak line. In the study released this week, it identifies issues within the existing corridor and establishes how the new line will benefit riders. With the release of this study, the project enters into the public phase of its consideration, which will include public information meetings.
“The second daily train is projected to grow the market and provide greater reliability at conventional speed of 79 miles per hour,” said Dan Krom, director of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Passenger Rail Office, one of the partners in the development.
The project still has to evaluate potential alternatives and consider infrastructure upgrades, but the study release is a milestone in the march toward development of a shorter-distance intercity line within the TCMC corridor. The rail will also serve as a connector to cities along the corridor, providing passengers with regional destinations and adding schedule options.