
It serves two routes that run express - for the most part - to downtown Minneapolis, as well as other routes to the Mall of America, Savage, Shakopee, and elsewhere in Burnsville. The transit station was the busiest park-and-ride in Minnesota, according to a fall 2019 survey that counted 1,116 vehicles there one weekday. And I’ve actually found myself to be more productive when I’m working remotely.”Īdams drives from her home to the Burnsville Transit Station, where she catches her bus. And I can also get my job done at the same time. “I like knowing that I can still see students and I could do some laundry, and I can get things done through the day at my house. “I prefer to work from home,” Adams said. Examples in Minnesota include Hiawatha LRT and Northstar Commuter Rail.Jill Adams commutes from Burnsville to work as an academic advisor at the University of Minnesota three days a week but works from home the other two days, taking advantage of the U’s new hybrid work model. Commuter rail services typically connect urban centers with suburban populations over moderate distances with wider station spacing of 2 to 5 miles, higher speeds of 30 to 70 mph, and service concentrated on providing trips to and from work during weekday rush hours. Light Rail Transit (LRT) typically operates with frequent stops spaced one-half-mile to one-mile apart in dense urban environments at speeds of 20 to 50 mph, with regular and continuous daily service. Rail transit services typically operate in urban regions, and generally serve commuters traveling to and from work. The first Minnesota Comprehensive Statewide Freight and Passenger Rail Plan (adopted in February 2010) identifies several regional corridors for possible future intercity passenger rail service that would link the Twin Cities with outlying locations in Greater Minnesota and the upper Midwest. Statewide freight and passenger rail plan

Work to implement a second daily round trip passenger train on the Empire Builder route is underway to improve mobility and increase reliable travel options between Minnesota and Illinois, while minimizing capital investment. Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago intercity passenger rail service Passenger rail Amtrak Empire Builder serviceĬurrently, Minnesota has a single active intercity passenger rail service – Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which provides service between Chicago and points west. See Rail Grade Crossing Safety Project Selection report.
MN LIGHT RAIL ROUTE UPGRADE
The risk-based strategy, adapted from MnDOT's innovative approach to highway safety, allowed MnDOT to create a rail crossing upgrade plan based on risks of injury and death at crossings throughout Minnesota. Investigators created a new model for selecting railroad grade crossings for safety upgrades. MnDOT oversees crossings on all roadways, though only 5 percent of crossings are on state highways. Currently, the state records about 45 crashes per year, of which five involve fatalities. In the early 1990s, over 100 automotive crashes per year occurred at rail crossings in Minnesota. The safety of road users at Minnesota's 4,000-plus railroad grade crossings has improved in recent decades. Rail grade crossing safety project selection It is estimated that this appropriation will fund the installation of approximately 10 lower cost grade crossing improvements. The legislature also appropriated $2 million for implementation of safety improvements at these grade crossings specifically along crude-by-rail corridors. The 2014 Minnesota Legislature directed the Minnesota Department of Transportation to conduct a study of highway-rail grade crossings improvements for rail corridors carrying unit trains of crude oil and other hazardous materials. Crude by rail / rail safety improvement study Minnesota has 4,444 route miles of railroads serviced by 21 railroad companies.

Rail provides critical options to shippers in terms of market access, modal economics, and service. The freight rail system is particularly critical in providing efficient connections to markets beyond state borders, throughout North America, and to the world through the seaports on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, and the Great Lakes. Many of the state’s major industries rely on the rail system for efficient delivery of goods. Minnesota’s freight railroads form a critical part of the State’s multimodal transportation system. The plan will identify priority rail corridors, programs, and projects that offer effective improvements or expansion for passenger and freight travel in and out of Minnesota. Now in process for its federally mandated five-year update, the Minnesota State Rail Plan will provide an overall vision for effective use of the state’s freight and passenger rail network and its future development. About Railroads in Minnesota State Rail Plan
