The rail line that could (prove its worth)
Read Steve Raukar’s (president of the Minneapolis-Duluth/Superior Passenger Rail Alliance and a St. Louis County Commissioner) indignant rebuttal to arguments made by Phil Krinkie (Taxpayers’ League of Minnesota) that the proposed Northern Lights Express (NLX) high-speed passenger rail line between Minneapolis and Duluth is the “train to nowhere.”
Krinkie’s major points:
- Proponents of the Northern Lights Express incorrectly believe
that success on a light-rail line between downtown Minneapolis and the
airport will translate into success for an 150-mile high-speed
passenger line between downtown Minneapolis and Duluth. - Generous federal funding (80 percent) and congressional support from Rep. Jim Oberstar are the only major reasons for the line
- There will be no transportation alternatives upon reaching Duluth and riders will be stranded
- The Northern Lights Express is the brainchild of county
commissioners that stand to benefit from the line going through their
districts - A trip to Duluth will take longer on the train than it does by car
Raukar’s major points:
- Rail infrasturcture is much cheaper than highway construction
- Trains will relieve traffic congestion
- A multi-modal station in Duluth won’t leave arriving passengers stranded
- The high-speed train will shave 30 minutes off normal driving time (making it a 2-hour trip, one way)
- Commuters will have productive time on the train
- The train will inspire development along its route
I’ll share my thoughts on this later — I’m off to work.
