Duluth to Minneapolis Commuter Rail Project Hires Lobbying Firm

A project to connect Duluth to Minneapolis with commuter train service will get extra support in an effort to secure federal funding.

The NLX Alliance, the group behind the Northern Lights Express passenger rail line, has hired a lobbying firm in Washington D.C. to help secure the funding needed for the project. The project is expected to cost nearly $1 billion, and the majority of the funding will need to come from federal sources.

The Minnesota State Legislature has already committed $195 million towards the project, which would connect Union Depot in Duluth to the Target Field station in Minneapolis. The significant investment represents only about 20% of the total project cost, and federal funding is the only way the group will be able to finance the project. The 20% state investment does, however, qualify the project for federal funding for the remaining 80%.

The proposed rail line would also have stops in Coon Rapids, Cambridge, Hinckley, and Superior and would run on 152 miles of track that already exists. The rail line could be a critical connection between the twin cities and the twin ports area, opening up various economic and recreational opportunities for residents near the proposed line.

If built, the rail line would see four daily round trips with trains traveling at speeds approaching 100 mph. The building of the rail line would also support good construction jobs across the region. Officials hope that the introduction of a lobbying firm to the project will speed up the process of receiving the federal funding needed to begin construction.