Funding and Legislation

The Rail Safety Enhancement Act of 2008 established new federal funds for

• State passenger rail corridors (see section 302)
• High speed rail (section 501)

To qualify for federal funds states must

• Provide a 20 percent match for Federal funds federal funds
• Develop a comprehensive state rail plan (section 303).

Minnesota Session Law 2008, section 174.03 subd. 1b mandated MnDOT to develop a comprehensive statewide freight and passenger rail plan and submit it to the relevant legislative committee.

Information on The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act - What it means for Minnesota

Quick Links

• Passenger Rail Forum
• State Plan: 2009-2028 MnDOT is currently updating Minnesota's Statewide Transportation Plan.
• More about Passenger Rail and Freight
• Freight & Passenger Rail Studies
• Federal Railroad Administration

Passenger Rail Initiatives

• Passenger Rail -About passenger rail in Minnesota
• Northstar Commuter Rail
• Midwest Regional Rail System Wisconsin DOT: Economic Impacts of the MRRS (PDF 2.3 MB)