Minneapolis Star-Tribune - Minnesota / March 10, 2007
Plan for rail service to Duluth gains steam
Proponents of a Minneapolis-to-Duluth passenger service link say they believe the route would be profitable this time around.
By the time the last Amtrak passenger trains ran between the Twin Cities and Duluth in 1985, the 150-mile trip took four hours, trains were often late, public subsidies were draining and ridership was falling.
Now 22 years later, county officials along the old route – with the blessing of Jim Oberstar, the influential Minnesota congressman – are trying to revive the rail line because they say times have changed. But the project is already raising concerns that its sudden emergence is competing for money with other, more advanced rail initiatives. The proposal also is forcing one county commissioner to explain whether his support is linked to any personal land holdings.
Since September, the $120 million rail line proposal has nonetheless gained steam.
A divided Hennepin County Board voted two weeks ago to help fund a feasibility study. And Anoka County gave a consulting firm run by Elwyn Tinklenberg, the former state transportation commissioner, a $118,000 contract to push the concept.
My understanding is that Duluth is a city of about 90,000. Add in the 30,000 who are in the immediate vicinity in Superior WI, and you still do not have a population base large enough to support passenger rail activity. Sure, the presence of a casino along the line and Duluth’s status as a tourist destination (for 3 months of the year) would help, but IMHO this route would be a failure. A much better idea would be increasing the frequency of service to Milwaukee and Chicago.
Can anyone one out there think of a situation in which cities are about 4 hours apart, and one of them is this small? Remember there is not a series of intermediate stops involoved in this proposal.
Whether or not it is profitable depends on how you define that term as it is applied to a publicly funded rail line. In Minnesota, good vibes could qualify as a sign of profit. Every person that it takes off the highway helps the planet, and I think we all can profit from that.
There is not much more that the people in Minnesota love more than a touchy-feely enviro-project! Put a bar car on it, and it will ‘be successful.[#welcome] Not to mention the potential for snow plow trains in the winter[4:-)]. Wouldn’t a rotary with a big plume of snow rising look great?[tup] Further, to mention the chance for politicians to put a harpoon in the State/Federal bank account, MO’ MONEY! $$$$$$$$$$$$…[sigh]
Okay, first, it’s not just about us!! There are close to 2 million people who come to visit the Duluth area in the summer time alone. That’s only three months of the year. Do you know how many people that is!! Then Some of the people in duluth and superior would like to have a job in minneapolis but they live in Duluth. They could possibly work in Minneapolis. Plus the line is going to extend to the Minneapolis airport, which means if you’re going on vacation, take the train to the airport and then leave from minneapolis. And you must remember that you don’t live here and you haven’t heard what the people want here in Duluth. The one thing people want is commuter service. We have been talking about it for quite sometime. It’s going to come through and it will work. Plus they are thinking of stopping in a couple of other places too. Remeber they have only just begun so you need to give it sometime.
Via Rail runs a daily 4 hour run from Victoria, BC (400,000) to Courtenay (25,000) every morning with Budd RDCs, which return in the afternoon.
I don’t believe Wisconsin ever chipped in with Amtrak’s Arrowhead/North Star, and I doubt they would this time. They don’t even have service to Madison or Green Bay.
Bring it on.
I am from superior and this idea has support over here.
Flying from duluth to anywhere will add $200.00 to your ticket per person.
This aera of the country is in the lap of poverty,and any acesss to the good paying jobs downstate will have grass roots support from both states up here.
You can drive to the cities in two hours if you are quick but the airport will take at least three hours.
Four hours on a train with a bar car will sell out in no time…both ways.
Heck, paint a couple of cars in Packer colours and our state collection of village idiots in Madtown will fund 50% of it.
It would be really good for the Twin Ports to have rail passenger service once again, but, I would make certain that it would be at least two or three frequencies per day, both directions. I would also extend the train to Chicago from the Twin Cities, following the route of the Empire Builder through Wisconsin. I have to ask, though: without a dedicated source of funding for this (technically) interstate train, where are the funds going to come from? In order to do this, I would solve that issue along the way. Something like a Passenger Rail Trust Fund, perhaps administered on the State level if not by the Feds.
I don’t know, looks like Greyhound already goes between Duluth from Minneapolis? How are they doing on that route? A bus is much cheaper to run than a train, if multiple buses sell out then maybe a train is worth running between those locations. I’m just looking at the best bang for your buck, 120 million can buy some nice buses.
