1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to transportation; requiring rail corridor service analysis for passenger rail
1.3 service to Fargo and Kansas City; requiring commissioner of transportation to
1.4 apply for federal passenger rail corridor identification and development
1.5 programming; appropriating money.
1.6BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.7 Section 1. PASSENGER RAIL; RAIL CORRIDOR SERVICE ANALYSIS;
1.8INTERCITY RAIL; APPROPRIATION.
1.9 Subdivision 1.Corridors; identification and development required.(a) The
1.10commissioner of transportation must apply to the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor
1.11Identification and Development Program established by the Infrastructure Investment and
1.12Jobs Act under United States Code, title 49, section 25101(a), for planning and development
1.13of two intercity passenger rail corridors with service originating in and extending beyond
1.14Minnesota. The two routes include:
1.15 (1) extension of passenger rail service from St. Paul to Fargo, North Dakota; and
1.16 (2) establishment of new passenger rail service from St. Paul to Kansas City, Missouri,
1.17that includes service to Northfield, Albert Lea, and Des Moines, Iowa.
1.18 (b) Upon successful application and award of development funds from the Federal
1.19Railroad Administration for the routes developed in paragraph (a), the commissioner must
1.20execute and complete all Step 1 scoping requirements under the Corridor Identification and
1.21Development Program for both routes in paragraph (a).
1.22 Subd. 2.Appropriation.(a) $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the
1.23general fund to the commissioner of transportation for the following:
1Section 1.
25-04851 as introduced03/14/25 REVISOR KRB/MI
SENATE
STATE OF MINNESOTA
S.F. No. 2887NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
(SENATE AUTHORS: JOHNSON STEWART and Dibble)
OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
Introduction and first reading03/24/2025
Referred to Transportation 2.1 (1) intercity passenger rail projects in the Phase I corridors level identified in the 2015
2.2update to the state rail plan under Minnesota Statutes, section 174.03, subdivision 1b;
2.3 (2) providing state matching funds for obtaining federal grants to complete the Step 2
2.4service development plan under the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification
2.5and Development Program;
2.6 (3) planning, development, and staffing costs for the required application in subdivision
2.71, paragraph (a), and completion of the Step 1 scoping requirements under subdivision 1,
2.8paragraph (b); and
2.9 (4) grants to political subdivisions for planning and service development activities
2.10consistent with the passenger rail implementation and policy established in the state rail
2.11plan under Minnesota Statutes, section 174.03, subdivision 1b, including:
2.12 (i) project cost estimates;
2.13 (ii) alternatives analysis;
2.14 (iii) preliminary engineering;
2.15 (iv) environmental analysis;
2.16 (v) benefit cost; or
2.17 (vi) economic impact analysis.
2.18 (b) This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2028. The appropriation
2.19is only available for the Minnesota share of project costs.
2.20 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
2Section 1.
25-04851 as introduced03/14/25 REVISOR KRB/MI