Jackson and Martin County Rail to Trail Action Plan
The City of Alpha has received a grant from MnDOT to create a Rail-to-Trail Transportation Action Plan in collaboration with the City of Jackson, the City of Sherburn, the City of Welcome, the City of Fairmont, Jackson County and Martin County, focused on transforming the existing railroad corridor into a walking, biking, and rolling trail that connects the two counties. A future trail may also be useable for year-round recreation, including snowmobiling, ATV use, horseback riding, etc.
The corridor is part of the former Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E), now under the parent company Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), with many sections experiencing limited use or partial abandonment. The Action Plan will identify short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations and outline specific implementation steps to advance the project. The City of Alpha will also receive additional technical assistance in spring 2027 to begin implementing priority elements of the plan.
Funding for any future trail improvements has not been identified and is not being determined as part of this planning effort. The Action Plan is intended to explore possibilities and establish a long-term vision. If this rail-to-trail corridor is pursued, project partners would evaluate a variety of potential funding sources, which would include regional, state, and federal grants, and private funding opportunities to minimize the cost to local budgets and taxpayers.
This project is led by a local planning team that includes people from:
- Alpha City Staff
- Sherburn City Staff
- Fairmont City Staff
- Welcome City Staff
- Faribault and Martin County Human Services
- SW Regional Development Commission
- Region Nine Development Commission
- Des Moines Valley HHS
- Friends of Jackson County Trails
- MnDOT District 7
- Jackson County Central School Dist.
- Jackson County Parks and Trails Dept.
- HHS SHIP Team
This Rail-to-Trail Transportation Action Plan is funded through MnDOT’s Active Transportation Program. To create a Rail-to-Trail Plan that reflects the needs of Jackson and Martin Counties, we want to understand how you travel today and how this corridor could better support safe and accessible walking, biking, and rolling in the future. Your input will help shape how the former railroad can become a connected, enjoyable route linking Alpha with surrounding communities now and over time.
We look forward to your input.
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The Jackson and Martin County Rail-to-Trail Action Plan is exploring the opportunity to transform a railroad corridor into a multi-use trail connecting communities, destinations, and recreational opportunities throughout the region.
This plan is in the early visioning stage. We want to understand how residents, visitors, and community members might use the corridor, what destinations are important to connect, and what features would make the trail a valuable community asset. The trail would ideally follow the railroad corridor between Jackson and Fairmont, with possible diversions onto parallel roads, as shown below.
Funding for any future trail improvements has not been identified and is not being determined as part of this planning effort. The Action Plan is intended to explore possibilities and establish a long-term vision. If this rail-to-trail corridor is pursued, project partners would evaluate a variety of potential funding sources, which would include regional, state, federal grants, and private funding opportunities to minimize the cost to local budgets and taxpayers.
Your feedback will help shape future planning efforts for the corridor.
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Phone (612) 590-8364 Email william.wlizlo@state.mn.us