State Rail Plan Update

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The State Rail Plan update project is complete.


The Commissioner of Transportation has adopted the plan as part of MnDOT's official policy. For more information about the plan, please see the State Rail Plan website on MnDOT's Freight homepage at

https://www.dot.state.mn.us/planning/railplan/index.html



This page will be archived


The State Rail Plan vision and goals are aligned with those of Minnesota’s Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan (SMTP).



The public Comment period for the State Rail Plan is now closed.

The comment period for the final draft of the Minnesota State Rail Plan is closed. The final draft of the plan can still be viewed here. The next and final step in the process is the adoption of the final State Rail Plan. This step involves reviewing comments received during the comment period, internal review of the plan document, submission to Federal Railroad Administration, and submission to Governor's Office.

The Minnesota State Rail Plan envisions the future of Minnesota’s rail transportation system over the next 20 years. The plan describes the importance of railroads to Minnesota’s economy, the state of the current rail system and trends, and identifies key rail investments that better support the transportation of goods, services and people throughout Minnesota. The plan guides and supports MnDOT’s efforts to ensure rail and all modes of transportation work together to move Minnesota.

Informational webinar recordings

MNDOT hosted two webinars to provide an overview of information in the draft State Rail Plan document. The webinars were recorded and can be viewed via the links below:


MnDOT invites and encourages participation by all. If you feel you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability to fully participate (such as an ASL or a spoken language interpreter), or need documents in an alternative format (such as braille or large print), please contact: 651-366-4720 or ADArequest.dot@statemn.us

The State Rail Plan update project is complete.


The Commissioner of Transportation has adopted the plan as part of MnDOT's official policy. For more information about the plan, please see the State Rail Plan website on MnDOT's Freight homepage at

https://www.dot.state.mn.us/planning/railplan/index.html



This page will be archived


The State Rail Plan vision and goals are aligned with those of Minnesota’s Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan (SMTP).



The public Comment period for the State Rail Plan is now closed.

The comment period for the final draft of the Minnesota State Rail Plan is closed. The final draft of the plan can still be viewed here. The next and final step in the process is the adoption of the final State Rail Plan. This step involves reviewing comments received during the comment period, internal review of the plan document, submission to Federal Railroad Administration, and submission to Governor's Office.

The Minnesota State Rail Plan envisions the future of Minnesota’s rail transportation system over the next 20 years. The plan describes the importance of railroads to Minnesota’s economy, the state of the current rail system and trends, and identifies key rail investments that better support the transportation of goods, services and people throughout Minnesota. The plan guides and supports MnDOT’s efforts to ensure rail and all modes of transportation work together to move Minnesota.

Informational webinar recordings

MNDOT hosted two webinars to provide an overview of information in the draft State Rail Plan document. The webinars were recorded and can be viewed via the links below:


MnDOT invites and encourages participation by all. If you feel you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability to fully participate (such as an ASL or a spoken language interpreter), or need documents in an alternative format (such as braille or large print), please contact: 651-366-4720 or ADArequest.dot@statemn.us

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded. Thank you for your participation.

    State Rail Plan Passenger Rail Priorities Survey

    4119 responses

    Welcome to the Minnesota State Rail Plan Public Engagement Survey.


    As part of the State Rail Plan update, the Minnesota Department of Transportation would like your input! This is the second survey we have hosted which will assist in the development of an overall vision for the state’s freight and passenger rail network and its future development. The State Rail Plan will identify priority rail corridors, programs, and projects that may contribute to the improvement or expansion of passenger and freight travel in and out of Minnesota. The survey should take about 5-7 minutes to complete.


    We would appreciate your time and feedback to help improve passenger rail services in Minnesota.  

     








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  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    State Rail Plan Public Engagement Survey

    1028 responses


    Welcome to our initial Public Engagement Survey! The Minnesota State Rail Plan update project is the process MnDOT will use to craft an overall vision for the state’s freight and passenger rail network and facilitate its future development. To accomplish this, we will analyze critical elements of the freight and passenger rail system that influence transportation access and economic development across the state. The updated plan will inventory the existing rail system by assembling data from project research and a broad based public engagement effort. The project will evaluate the strengths and opportunities presented by the system, identify priority rail corridors for passenger and freight movements, and examine the programs and projects necessary to improve or expand passenger and freight travel in and out of Minnesota.



    The Minnesota Department of Transportation would like your input, Please take 3-5 minutes to provide feedback and help us improve railroads in Minnesota.



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Page last updated: 20 May 2026, 08:52 AM