Ramsey County commissioner announces $31.8 million grant for second Amtrak train

Pioneer Press – September 22, 2020

A proposed second train from St. Paul to Chicago rolled a little closer to reality this week with the approval of a $31.8 million federal grant. Ramsey County commissioners involved in the project spoke about the grant approval at Tuesday’s board meeting. An official announcement is expected later this week.

“This is not only about a second train that will have multiple stops through southern Minnesota all the way to Chicago, making that transportation more accessible. This is about jobs and the economy,” said Ramsey County Commissioner Trista MatasCastillo. “Most of this money would be spent in Minnesota. So it’s good news. It’s a good first step…but we still have a lot of work to do.”

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Federal Railroad Commission grants $31.8 million toward second train to Milwaukee and Chicago

Winona Daily News – September 24, 2020

The Federal Railroad Administration has granted $31.8 million toward capital improvements that will help make a Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago second train a reality, the Great River Rail Commission announced Wednesday. This grant comes after years of advocacy for expanded passenger rail in the Mississippi River Route.

According to a release by the commission, the award reflects the federal government’s confidence in the second train, which is expected to increase passenger service by 124,000 trips annually, create jobs and generate economic growth in the corridor and broader Minnesota.

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Amtrak reducing long-distance trains to three days a week despite promising returns

Winona Daily News – September 21, 2020

Amtrak will cut down on daily long-distance trains and transition to a tri-weekly format through southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin by mid-October, despite the fact the daily trains are the company’s current crutch for revenue.

Since March and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in numerous businesses suffering greatly, Amtrak’s ridership has fallen by 95%, according to All Aboard Minnesota and All Aboard Wisconsin. Due to this drop in ridership, the company’s projected revenue for 2021 has gone down by 50%. To remedy this, Amtrak is not only cutting the number of days it runs long-distance trains, but also cutting its workforce by 20%, which it estimates will save $213 million in costs and $500 million in cost savings.

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