by T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol reporter

The best route for high-speed rail runs through the City of Rochester, a group of southern Minnesota officials argued today (Wednesday, Sept. 30). And they say they have the data to prove it.

Rochester lawmakers presented a study by Transportation Economics and Management Systems (TEMS) showing that running the proposed Chicago-Twin Cities high-speed passenger rail line through Rochester instead of on tracks along the Mississippi River would allow for higher speeds, greater ridership, greater finance benefits.

Alexander Metcalf , president of Transportation Economics and Management Systems of Frederick, Md., presented his company's report showing that running the proposed Chicago-Twin Cities high-speed passenger rail line through Rochester instead of on tracks along the Mississippi River would provide the faster, most economical rail service. Metcalf appeared with Rochester lawmakers at a Capitol press conference today (Sept. 30). (Photo by T.W. Budig, ECM Capitol Reporter)

Alexander Metcalf, TEMS president, called the study, paid for by the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance, “a true apple to apple comparison.”

Should a Rochester route be followed, it could have the high-speed passenger line entering the southern metro in the Rosemount area, perhaps stopping at St. Paul/Minneapolis Airport.

A Rochester route would allow high-speed passenger rail to run fast, explained Metcalf.

176 curves between Winona and St. Paul

There’s some 176 curves between Winona — the proposed high-speed would cross the river from LaCrosse — and St. Paul which limits speeds along the much of the way to 90 mph.

A Rochester line could initially allow for speeds to 110 mph with the ability to be upgraded to 220 mph in the future — just at 110 mph travel time between Chicago-St. Paul would be reduced by 30 minutes, the study found.

Additionally, the Rochester route — with the passenger-generator of the Mayo Clinic, Rochesters’s growth — means more passenger, cites the study.

Although bringing about $150 million more in capital costs, the Rochester route delivers a higher cost-benefit ratio, the study found.

Beyond this, the route could operate independently — able to economically stand alone.

Rep. Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, argued that federal officials would look at the river route as a lesser one among routes vying for federal dollars.

“In a race for highly competitive federal funding, I don’t think that’s the way we should go,” she said.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) is currently working on a study of state passenger and freight rail and will release the report later this year.

Receptive to additional information

The agency has been receptive to taking additional information — they have the TEMS report, said Sen. Ann Lynch, DFL-Rochester.

House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee Chairman Bernie Lieder, DFL-Crookston, said there will be public hearings on high-speed rail and doesn’t expect a final decision for many months.

That decision will be made by the Legislature, he said.

And it probably won’t be a one-or-the-other type of decision, Lieder suggested.

“I think the end result is going to be a combination of both (routes),” said Lieder of addressing freight and passenger rail needs. There’s no way the river route be abandoned, he said.

But the problem with it is that the river route is not conducive to high-speed rail. “The idea of high-speed rail this day of age is to gain a little bit of time,” said Lieder.

Numbers will win out, says Hortman

Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, who serves on transportation committees in the House, believes numbers will win out over politics in deciding the high-speed passenger rail route. “Often the best numbers make the best politics,” she said.

Although saying it’s possible the TEMS study used factors in their capital cost calculations she’s unaware of, Hortman — judging from her experience with Northstar Commuter Rail — suggested the additional capital cost of about $150 million for the Rochester route seemed low.

But she expressed no favorites, noting the Mn/DOT study is reviewing the whole matter.

Hortman expects rail development in upcoming years to move at a rapid clip.

“I think Barack Obama wants to be to the rail roads what Dwight Eisenhower was to the highways,” she said. “And so I do think passenger rail development is going to move very quickly in this country in the next few years,” said Hortman.