Is The Northern Lights Express Train Closer to Reality?

The Northern Lights Express train from Minneapolis to Duluth has been talked about and studied for years, but is the train any closer to opening?

Well, if Minnesota's new governor Tim Walz has his way, the answer is yes!

In his proposed $1.27 billion infrastructure bill for the state, Walz is asking for "$11 million to leverage federal matching funds to develop passenger rail corridors such as the Northern Lights Express to Duluth, a second daily Amtrak train between the Twin Cities and Chicago."

So yes, if passed the train would most likely be one giant step closer to becoming a reality.

If built as proposed, the train would run from Target Field in Minneapolis to The Depot in Duluth. The train would make stops in Coon Rapids, Cambridge, Hinckley, and Superior.

Upgrades would be made to existing rail lines to allow the speed of the Northern Lights Express to approach speeds of 90 MPH.