Northern Lights Express Project Moves Forward

The proposed passenger rail will connect the Twin Ports with the Twin Cities.

The Northern Lights Express project is gaining steam. The proposed high speed intercity passenger rail project will provide four round trips a day between Minneapolis and Duluth.

The project is slated to cost between 500-600 million dollars. Officials are traveling around the state to future express stops to inform the public about the project’s progress.

The feasibility studies are done. Preliminary and environmental assessments are next on track.

“We get a very positive response from people, not everybody is going to ride the train but enough people are going to ride the train to make it worthwhile,” said project manager Frank Loetterle.

Service for the Northern Lights Express is scheduled to begin in 2020 if funding from the state and federal level comes in.