Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Senate File 257 would provide $118 million for the Southwest Light Rail Transit line, while Senate File 258 would provide $37 million.

The Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council called hundreds of community members about the Bottineau Transitway project and found that 57% of survey participants would support light rail.

Local officials from the Southwest, Northwest and Eastern regions are all seeking $100 million or more in state funding for each of three possible light rail lines. However, in the Republican-controlled legislature, both houses have resisted providing even a $25 million down payment on the state’s share of the proposed $1.25 billion line in the Southwest Corridor.

Agency was awarded a CMAQ grant in 2009-2010 to fund these and eight additional vehicles to be delivered in 2011. The vehicles cost just more than $400,000 each.

Metro Transit said it has has leased a locomotive from the Utah Transit Authority. The locomotive, which will be the sixth in the Northstar fleet, currently is en route to the Big Lake, Minn., maintenance base. It will enhance long-term service reliability and ease maintenance pressures.

Northstar is the region's first commuter-rail line and is expected to carry 3,400 riders each weekday during its first year of operation. As the service and market matures, ridership is expected to grow to 4,100 weekday rides.