Federal Railroad Administration May 24, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On December 9, 2010, FRA published a notice of intent to advise the public that a Tier I environmental impact statement (EIS) would be prepared for the Milwaukee, WI to Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (Milwaukee-Twin Cities) High-Speed Rail Corridor Program. The original project included passenger stations, maintenance facilities, and the construction of a high-speed rail line between Milwaukee and the Twin Cities. Alternatives originally under consideration included taking no action (No Build), as well as several build alternatives along a variety of corridors between Milwaukee and the Twin Cities. However, to prioritize the limited funding available for the EIS, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) now intends to focus the Tier 1 EIS on improvements to existing service using the existing route on the Milwaukee to Twin Cities passenger rail corridor (the Corridor) from Milwaukee Intermodal Station to the Minneapolis Transportation Interchange. Purpose and Need: The purpose of the current proposed action is to meet future regional travel demand and provide intermodal connectivity to existing and planned transportation systems in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The proposed action offers an opportunity to provide reliable and competitive passenger rail service as an attractive alternative transportation choice between Milwaukee and the Twin Cities by: decreasing travel times, increasing frequency of service, and providing safe and reliable service. The need for the proposed action is based on the limitations and vulnerabilities of available travel modes between Milwaukee and the Twin Cities. Existing transportation modes, including highway, bus, and air travel, have inherent problems including congested highways near the Milwaukee, Madison, and Twin Cities metro areas and airport capacity issues at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport. Improved and expanded passenger rail service can provide an alternative mode and/or relief to these congested roadways and airports. The environmental process will identify improvements to infrastructure that would allow for increased train frequency and reduced travel times for passenger rail service along the existing route on the Corridor. The existing route currently has passenger service; Amtrak's Empire Builder serves the Corridor, and, therefore, provides the best opportunity to implement a phased approach for infrastructure improvements.