DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) – Nearly $2 million is coming to Minnesota for rail infrastructure projects.
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced that they have secured funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help boost the Northland’s economy.
The $1.8 million will help provide safety improvements and efficiency along rail corridors in the region.
Another $800,000 was received by the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Moorhead to Duluth Corridor Crossing Elimination and Improvement Study to study rail crossings.
The goal is to evaluate conditions, identify alternatives, and improve safety given the region relies heavily on transporting goods by rail.
“Blocked rail crossings not only inconvenience drivers, but also delay emergency vehicles and threaten public safety,” said Klobuchar. “Investments in our infrastructure serve as a down payment on the long-term economic well-being of our state.”
“Northern Minnesota relies on freight rail to transport goods, especially to the Port of Duluth where our goods travel to all corners of the world,” said Smith. “Making the railroads more efficient and safer will boost the Northland’s economy for decades, and is exactly the kind of smart investment we should be making to improve the lives of Minnesotans.”
This investment is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Klobuchar and Smith have both cosponsored the bipartisan Railway Safety Act. This legislation aims to improve rail safety protocols, including increasing inspections on trains that carry hazardous materials, requiring rail carriers to have emergency response plans, and increasing penalties for rail companies when crashes happen.
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