Mass Transit – 12/19/19
Brightline and Walt Disney Co. officials have confirmed advanced talks about a station on or near theme-park property as part of a route to Tampa proposed by the passenger-rail system being renamed as Virgin Trains USA.
Michael Cegelis, Virgin's executive vice president for infrastructure, told local road officials recently that his company's discussions with Disney are in a "rather advanced state now."
Star Tribune – 12/12/19
Mary Murphy isn't looking for a time machine when she says: "We have to learn how to travel into the future."
The Hermantown DFL state representative just wants Minnesota to catch up.
"If we're planning for the 21st century, and 20 years have gone by already, we have to have something in place for the 80 years to follow," Murphy said. "That is the Northern Lights Express."
Amtrak - 12/11/2019
Rail advocates remain optimistic that a second daily Amtrak train could be added between the Twin Cities and Chicago, even though the Legislature didn't fund a $4 million request to help pay for the project. While disappointed, "I think we finally got some momentum this legislative session," said Mark Vaughan, chairman of the Great River Rail Commission, a group of local government officials in Minnesota and Wisconsin that support efforts to add a second train. He's hopeful lawmakers will see fit to fund the project next year.
