CCARL meets Thursday in Wanamingo

Citizens Concerned About Rail Line (CCARL) will have its next meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, at the Kenyon Wanamingo Elementary School, 225 Third Ave., Wanamingo.
The group was formed in opposition to the proposed high-speed or “Zip Rail” line between the Twin Cities and Rochester. When the plan was first proposed several years ago it called for a train traveling at close to 200 mph to take people from various stops in the Twin Cities to Rochester.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation authorized a study of the project and earlier released its ZIP Rail Alternatives Analysis Report that identified eight potential routes.
The routes had different paths primarily in the Twin Cities but there were two main routes suggested once the train left the metropolitan area. One of these routes would roughly follow the Highway 52 corridor while the second would follow the Highway 56 corridor. Both of these routes would go through Dakota, Goodhue and Olmsted Counties while the Highway 56 route would go through Dodge County, turning towards Rochester in the Dodge Center vicinity.
Opposition surfaced soon once the possible routes were announced. In the rural counties concerns were raised over water quality and right-of-way issues and issues of access.
Because the train would be traveling at a high rate of speed no on-grade crossings would be permitted meaning that crossing of county roads would either be eliminated or either the train or the roadway would have to be elevated. Closing road crossings would become a safety issue as it affected emergency vehicles and it would inconvenience rural residents.
There were also concerns that since the train would not stop after it left the last station in metro area, local residents would be unable to board the train.
MnDOT announced earlier this year it was suspending work on the proposed rail line because there was no more funding available.
CCARL has continued its opposition to the project despite the MnDOT decision because a private group, North American High Speed Rail Group, has expressed an interest in building the rail line using private funds.