Central Corridor (Minnesota)
Encyclopedia
The Central Corridor (to be called the Green Line in the future) is a light rail
line under construction that is to cover the 11 miles (17.7 km) stretch between the downtown
regions of Minneapolis
and Saint Paul
in Minnesota
. The line will follow the path of current Metro Transit
bus routes 16 and 50 along University Avenue
and Washington Avenue
(which runs from downtown Minneapolis past the University of Minnesota
). Barring any further delays, it is projected to open in 2014 and will be the second light-rail line in the region, after the Blue Line
, which opened in 2004 and connects Minneapolis with the southern suburb of Bloomington
. Construction on the line began in late 2010.
system that served the region. That line existed from 1890 until it was paved over in 1953. The tracks still lie beneath the pavement but will not be used for the new line. The old streetcar made frequent stops and had a center-of-street right-of-way. It was one of four lines termed "interurban" because they ran between the downtowns of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The others ran along Como Avenue, Selby Avenue and Lake Street
, and West 7th Street in Saint Paul as well as several streets in Minneapolis.
Within a generation of the last streetcar lines being removed in the Twin Cities, planners began thinking of returning to rail. In 1972, the Regional Fixed Guideway Study for the Metropolitan Transit Commission (the forerunner of today's Metro Transit) proposed a $1.3 billion 37- or 57-mile (sources differ) heavy-rail rapid transit
system, but the then-separate Metropolitan Council
disagreed with that idea – refusing to even look at the plan – and continuing political battles meant that it was never implemented. The Met Council had its own plans for bus rapid transit
in the metropolitan region. Another system using smaller people mover
s was proposed in the 1975 Small Vehicle Fixed Guideway Study and gained the most traction with the Saint Paul city council, but was eventually dropped in 1980. In the 1980s, light rail was proposed as an alternative, and several possible corridors were identified, including the Central Corridor line which had a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) drawn up in 1982. However, it took another two decades before the Hiawatha light rail line began operation on June 26, 2004, just over 50 years since the last regular-service streetcar ran on June 19, 1954 under the old Twin City Lines.
Though a 2003 study commissioned by the Central Corridor Coordinating Committee placed the cost at US$
840 million, current estimates place the cost of the light rail line at about US$
920 million. Current projections expect final engineering planning to finish by 2010; the line will take about three years to build and should be operational by 2014.
On June 6, 2006, the light rail option was endorsed by the Central Corridor Coordinating Committee. The Metropolitan Council
gave final approval to this decision on June 28, 2006, and is currently working on advance utility relocation while waiting for the final federal approval to enter final design and major construction.
The existing Hiawatha Line has exceeded ridership predictions, as is the case with many other light rail lines constructed in the U.S. during the last decade. This led to some delays for the Central Corridor project because local transit officials were forced to retool ridership models before submitting projections to the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA). The Metropolitan Council, which operates Metro Transit, submitted numbers showing that a light rail line would carry 43,000 passengers daily by the year 2030. The FTA agreed that the line would be cost-effective at this level, a key requirement for obtaining federal funding.
In April 2008, Governor Tim Pawlenty
initially vetoed $70 million in funding for the Central Corridor project, along with other items, from the state budget. The funding was part of a state-local package of $227 million necessary to get federal transportation funds, and the future of the project was in doubt until May 18, 2008, when a revised bonding bill including the $70 million for the Central Corridor was passed in the Legislature and signed into law by the governor.
In August 2009 the Central Corridor project received a Record of Decision from the Federal Transit Administration. The FTA found the project to have fully and accurately completed its environmental documentation with the publication of the Final Environmental Impact statement earlier in the summer, thus clearing the project for final design.
The first construction began in late 2010, including work in downtown St. Paul and near the University of Minnesota campus. By November 2011, construction was about 32% complete, including most heavy construction such as the installation of track segments, a new bridge, partial completion of stations, a rebuilt skyway in St. Paul and the construction of Central Corridor facilities at St. Paul Union Station.
The corridor presently contains working-class residents and immigrant populations from Laos
and Vietnam
. Although the Central Corridor construction is mostly an existing roadway and no land will be condemned, the disruption to existing transit and pedestrian ways has been cited as a concern by some groups. There is also concern that stops for light rail will be placed too far apart and, along with reductions in bus service, transportation options for people will be reduced. Others are concerned about gentrification
, where rising property values and taxes could force out lower-income residents.
The NAACP and allied minority groups recently filed a federal lawsuit that claims the line's location unfairly and disproportionately impacts minority neighborhoods.
Others have opposed using Washington Avenue for a pedestrian transit mall, and have opposed using the Washington Avenue bridge, citing traffic concerns, along with the age of the bridge, when other bridges upriver could be used to cross the Mississippi River: the 10th Avenue Bridge, the new I-35W bridge, or the Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9
. This last option is the one preferred by the University of Minnesota
, which fears traffic disruption and vibration at some of their research facilities would result from the Washington Avenue route. In late summer 2008, preliminary engineering reports showed that mitigation work could negate the effects of vibrations on university laboratory equipment, and the Washington Avenue route was finalized, at least for a time.
In January 2009, Minnesota Public Radio
(MPR) raised concerns over the effects of the light-rail trains on their recording studios on Cedar Street in downtown St. Paul. MPR presented the results of an engineering study which they sponsored that conflicted with that performed by the Metropolitan Council. A legal settlement between MPR and other involved parties will keep the light rail trains on Cedar Street, and will also compensate MPR for the addition of sound-proof upgrades to their studios.
The University of Minnesota also renewed its objections over vibration concerns along Washington Avenue in late 2009. Negotiations between the Metropolitan Council and the university continued into early 2010. A compromise was reached between the University and the Metropolitan Council and the Washington Avenue bridge was selected for use. As of Summer 2011 work has begun on the Washington Avenue bridge.
(existing Hiawatha LRT), the Orange Line (under-construction 35W BRT) and the Red Line (under construction Cedar Avenue BRT).
As of 2009, the Federal Transit Administration
has increased the Cost Effectiveness Index such that buildout of one station is now feasible.
On January 25, 2010, the FTA announced that the three "infill" stations will be built.
commuter rail line connects downtown Minneapolis with northwestern suburbs, with a station at the north/western terminus of the Hiawatha Line and Central Corridor. The two light rail lines would share trackage in downtown between the Northstar station and the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
. A short westward extension to the Hiawatha Line was completed connecting it to Target Field
and making it easier to directly transfer from Northstar to either of the light rail corridors.
The temporary eastern terminus of the Central Corridor will be a street level station in front of the Saint Paul Union Depot
, considered one of the great architectural
achievements in the city and formerly one of the main points of departure for area train riders up until passenger rail service in the United States
was restructured in the 1960s and 1970s. Future plans call for extending the line down to the concourse level, and provisions have been made including building the maintenance shops on adjacent land. The concourse of the Union Depot would become a transfer point for people coming into St. Paul along the proposed Red Rock
and Rush Line
commuter rail lines. There is also some talk of moving the Amtrak
intercity station from its current location near University Avenue between the cities to Union Depot. Amtrak provides daily service, via the Midway station
, along the Empire Builder
route to Chicago
, Seattle and Portland
. At the present time, the Union Depot is partially used as a mail hub by the United States Postal Service
, as well as home to a couple of restaurants. It has not seen the revitalization of similar depots in other cities. The postal service plans to relocate as soon as their new facility in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan
is complete.
will build 31 Light Rail Vehicles for the Central Corridor line and another 10 for the Hiawatha Line
's three-car train expansion project, at a per-LRV cost of $3,297,714 and a total contract value of $153,211,516. The 41 LRVs will be built in Florin, California
, with the first vehicle(s) being delivered in late 2012.
The Hiawatha Line's original first-generation fleet of 27 Flexity Swift
LRVs was built by Bombardier
; the Siemens "type II" LRVs will be mechanically, but not electronically, compatible with the current fleet of 27 "type I" vehicles, so while the two generations will be able to run on the tracks at the same time and either type would be able to push a malfunctioning unit of the other type, multiple-unit trains may only be assembled of one type.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line under construction that is to cover the 11 miles (17.7 km) stretch between the downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
regions of Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
and Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The line will follow the path of current Metro Transit
Metro Transit (Minnesota)
Metro Transit is the transit division of the Metropolitan Council, a regional governmental agency in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Metro Transit is the largest operator of bus services in the seven-county region surrounding Minneapolis and St...
bus routes 16 and 50 along University Avenue
University Avenue (Minneapolis-St. Paul)
University Avenue in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region of Minnesota begins near the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul and extends westward into neighboring Minneapolis, where it passes the University of Minnesota, and then turns north to pass through several suburbs before ending in Blaine,...
and Washington Avenue
Washington Avenue (Minneapolis)
Washington Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Starting north of Lowry Avenue, the street runs straight south, with Interstate 94 running alongside it until just south of West Broadway, when the freeway turns to the west...
(which runs from downtown Minneapolis past the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
). Barring any further delays, it is projected to open in 2014 and will be the second light-rail line in the region, after the Blue Line
Hiawatha Line
The Hiawatha Line is a light rail corridor in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from downtown Minneapolis to the southern suburb of Bloomington. It was formerly known as the Hiawatha Line named after Hiawatha Avenue. Major connections on the line include the Minneapolis-St...
, which opened in 2004 and connects Minneapolis with the southern suburb of Bloomington
Bloomington, Minnesota
Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern...
. Construction on the line began in late 2010.
History
The line's opening will mark the return of rail to the corridor, as a streetcar line along University Avenue was the first of four "interurban" streetcar connections between Minneapolis and St. Paul, and directly led to the merger creating the Twin City Rapid TransitTwin City Rapid Transit
The Twin City Rapid Transit Company , also known as Twin City Lines , was a transportation company that operated streetcars, and buses in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota...
system that served the region. That line existed from 1890 until it was paved over in 1953. The tracks still lie beneath the pavement but will not be used for the new line. The old streetcar made frequent stops and had a center-of-street right-of-way. It was one of four lines termed "interurban" because they ran between the downtowns of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The others ran along Como Avenue, Selby Avenue and Lake Street
Lake Street (Minneapolis)
Lake Street is a major east-west thoroughfare in Minneapolis, Minnesota which is located between 29th and 31st Streets in south Minneapolis. It was named such because it runs through the Chain of Lakes area on the west side of town and passes over a small channel linking Lake Calhoun and Lake of...
, and West 7th Street in Saint Paul as well as several streets in Minneapolis.
Within a generation of the last streetcar lines being removed in the Twin Cities, planners began thinking of returning to rail. In 1972, the Regional Fixed Guideway Study for the Metropolitan Transit Commission (the forerunner of today's Metro Transit) proposed a $1.3 billion 37- or 57-mile (sources differ) heavy-rail rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system, but the then-separate Metropolitan Council
Metropolitan Council
The Metropolitan Council or Met Council is the regional governmental agency and metropolitan planning organization in Minnesota serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area. The Met Council is granted regional authority powers in state statutes by the Minnesota Legislature. These powers...
disagreed with that idea – refusing to even look at the plan – and continuing political battles meant that it was never implemented. The Met Council had its own plans for bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
in the metropolitan region. Another system using smaller people mover
People mover
A people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...
s was proposed in the 1975 Small Vehicle Fixed Guideway Study and gained the most traction with the Saint Paul city council, but was eventually dropped in 1980. In the 1980s, light rail was proposed as an alternative, and several possible corridors were identified, including the Central Corridor line which had a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) drawn up in 1982. However, it took another two decades before the Hiawatha light rail line began operation on June 26, 2004, just over 50 years since the last regular-service streetcar ran on June 19, 1954 under the old Twin City Lines.
Though a 2003 study commissioned by the Central Corridor Coordinating Committee placed the cost at US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
840 million, current estimates place the cost of the light rail line at about US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
920 million. Current projections expect final engineering planning to finish by 2010; the line will take about three years to build and should be operational by 2014.
On June 6, 2006, the light rail option was endorsed by the Central Corridor Coordinating Committee. The Metropolitan Council
Metropolitan Council
The Metropolitan Council or Met Council is the regional governmental agency and metropolitan planning organization in Minnesota serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area. The Met Council is granted regional authority powers in state statutes by the Minnesota Legislature. These powers...
gave final approval to this decision on June 28, 2006, and is currently working on advance utility relocation while waiting for the final federal approval to enter final design and major construction.
The existing Hiawatha Line has exceeded ridership predictions, as is the case with many other light rail lines constructed in the U.S. during the last decade. This led to some delays for the Central Corridor project because local transit officials were forced to retool ridership models before submitting projections to the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
(FTA). The Metropolitan Council, which operates Metro Transit, submitted numbers showing that a light rail line would carry 43,000 passengers daily by the year 2030. The FTA agreed that the line would be cost-effective at this level, a key requirement for obtaining federal funding.
In April 2008, Governor Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
initially vetoed $70 million in funding for the Central Corridor project, along with other items, from the state budget. The funding was part of a state-local package of $227 million necessary to get federal transportation funds, and the future of the project was in doubt until May 18, 2008, when a revised bonding bill including the $70 million for the Central Corridor was passed in the Legislature and signed into law by the governor.
In August 2009 the Central Corridor project received a Record of Decision from the Federal Transit Administration. The FTA found the project to have fully and accurately completed its environmental documentation with the publication of the Final Environmental Impact statement earlier in the summer, thus clearing the project for final design.
The first construction began in late 2010, including work in downtown St. Paul and near the University of Minnesota campus. By November 2011, construction was about 32% complete, including most heavy construction such as the installation of track segments, a new bridge, partial completion of stations, a rebuilt skyway in St. Paul and the construction of Central Corridor facilities at St. Paul Union Station.
Opposition
As with many transportation projects, businesses along the line have opposed development because of the economic impact it will cause while construction is underway. Under current plans, 87% of on-street parking will disappear along University Avenue between Raymond Avenue and Rice Street.The corridor presently contains working-class residents and immigrant populations from Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Although the Central Corridor construction is mostly an existing roadway and no land will be condemned, the disruption to existing transit and pedestrian ways has been cited as a concern by some groups. There is also concern that stops for light rail will be placed too far apart and, along with reductions in bus service, transportation options for people will be reduced. Others are concerned about gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
, where rising property values and taxes could force out lower-income residents.
The NAACP and allied minority groups recently filed a federal lawsuit that claims the line's location unfairly and disproportionately impacts minority neighborhoods.
Others have opposed using Washington Avenue for a pedestrian transit mall, and have opposed using the Washington Avenue bridge, citing traffic concerns, along with the age of the bridge, when other bridges upriver could be used to cross the Mississippi River: the 10th Avenue Bridge, the new I-35W bridge, or the Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9
Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9
Northern Pacific Bridge #9 is a deck truss bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, between the Seven Corners area and the University of Minnesota campus. It was built in 1924 and was designed by Frederick W. Cappelen. Railroad use of the bridge ended in 1981, and in 1999...
. This last option is the one preferred by the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, which fears traffic disruption and vibration at some of their research facilities would result from the Washington Avenue route. In late summer 2008, preliminary engineering reports showed that mitigation work could negate the effects of vibrations on university laboratory equipment, and the Washington Avenue route was finalized, at least for a time.
In January 2009, Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio , is the flagship National Public Radio member network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, Classical Music and The Current, MPR operates a 42-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest serving over 8 million people...
(MPR) raised concerns over the effects of the light-rail trains on their recording studios on Cedar Street in downtown St. Paul. MPR presented the results of an engineering study which they sponsored that conflicted with that performed by the Metropolitan Council. A legal settlement between MPR and other involved parties will keep the light rail trains on Cedar Street, and will also compensate MPR for the addition of sound-proof upgrades to their studios.
The University of Minnesota also renewed its objections over vibration concerns along Washington Avenue in late 2009. Negotiations between the Metropolitan Council and the university continued into early 2010. A compromise was reached between the University and the Metropolitan Council and the Washington Avenue bridge was selected for use. As of Summer 2011 work has begun on the Washington Avenue bridge.
Line color
In July 2011, the Metropolitan Council officially named this line as the Green Line. Corresponding transit lines include the Blue LineHiawatha Line
The Hiawatha Line is a light rail corridor in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from downtown Minneapolis to the southern suburb of Bloomington. It was formerly known as the Hiawatha Line named after Hiawatha Avenue. Major connections on the line include the Minneapolis-St...
(existing Hiawatha LRT), the Orange Line (under-construction 35W BRT) and the Red Line (under construction Cedar Avenue BRT).
Additional stations
Some in favor of the line have expressed concern with the number of stations. The neighborhoods along University have demanded that the line have stations every half-mile, from Snelling to Rice Street, which would mean stations at Hamline Avenue, Victoria Street, and Western Avenue. In February 2008, the Central Corridor Management Committee passed a resolution to include below-ground infrastructure for the Hamline, Victoria and Western stations "with the understanding that, if the CEI increases or other dollars are made available by mid-summer 2008, the first claim on those dollars would be one of the infill stations." The Metropolitan Council has included this infrastructure work in their Draft Environmental Impact Statement and has also committed to building one station if any funds become available. The station they are likely to choose is Western Avenue due to environmental justice concerns related to decreased transit service.As of 2009, the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
has increased the Cost Effectiveness Index such that buildout of one station is now feasible.
On January 25, 2010, the FTA announced that the three "infill" stations will be built.
Transit links
The Northstar CorridorNorthstar Corridor
The Northstar Line is a commuter rail route in the U.S. state of Minnesota, which began service on November 16, 2009. The rail line serves part of the Northstar Corridor between Minneapolis and St. Cloud, and has been in planning since the Northstar Corridor Development Authority formed in 1997...
commuter rail line connects downtown Minneapolis with northwestern suburbs, with a station at the north/western terminus of the Hiawatha Line and Central Corridor. The two light rail lines would share trackage in downtown between the Northstar station and the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
. A short westward extension to the Hiawatha Line was completed connecting it to Target Field
Target Field
Target Field is a baseball park located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the home ballpark of the Minnesota Twins, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It is the franchise's sixth ballpark and third in Minnesota. The Twins moved to Target Field for the 2010 Major League Baseball...
and making it easier to directly transfer from Northstar to either of the light rail corridors.
The temporary eastern terminus of the Central Corridor will be a street level station in front of the Saint Paul Union Depot
Saint Paul Union Depot
The Saint Paul Union Depot was the main train station in the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Saint Paul Union Depot Company controlled of St. Paul trackage and terminal facilities, including the depot building...
, considered one of the great architectural
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
achievements in the city and formerly one of the main points of departure for area train riders up until passenger rail service in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was restructured in the 1960s and 1970s. Future plans call for extending the line down to the concourse level, and provisions have been made including building the maintenance shops on adjacent land. The concourse of the Union Depot would become a transfer point for people coming into St. Paul along the proposed Red Rock
Red Rock Corridor
The Red Rock Corridor is a proposed commuter rail service that will go from downtown Minneapolis through neighboring Saint Paul and then southeast along the Mississippi River to Hastings, Minnesota, with a possible later extension to Red Wing...
and Rush Line
Rush Line Corridor
The Rush Line Corridor is a transport corridor and proposed commuter rail service that will run from Union Depot in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota to Hinckley, Minnesota. It roughly follows the path of U.S. Route 61 and Interstate 35...
commuter rail lines. There is also some talk of moving the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
intercity station from its current location near University Avenue between the cities to Union Depot. Amtrak provides daily service, via the Midway station
Midway (Amtrak station)
Midway Station is the Amtrak train station in Saint Paul, Minnesota, so named after the Midway area which is roughly halfway between the downtowns of St. Paul and neighboring Minneapolis. Its Amtrak station code is MSP and serves as the only intercity train station for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul...
, along the Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
route to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Seattle and Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. At the present time, the Union Depot is partially used as a mail hub by the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
, as well as home to a couple of restaurants. It has not seen the revitalization of similar depots in other cities. The postal service plans to relocate as soon as their new facility in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan
Eagan, Minnesota
Eagan is a city south of Saint Paul in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. Eagan and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the fifteenth largest...
is complete.
Vehicles
Siemens Industry IncorporatedSiemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
will build 31 Light Rail Vehicles for the Central Corridor line and another 10 for the Hiawatha Line
Hiawatha Line
The Hiawatha Line is a light rail corridor in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from downtown Minneapolis to the southern suburb of Bloomington. It was formerly known as the Hiawatha Line named after Hiawatha Avenue. Major connections on the line include the Minneapolis-St...
's three-car train expansion project, at a per-LRV cost of $3,297,714 and a total contract value of $153,211,516. The 41 LRVs will be built in Florin, California
Florin, California
Florin is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, with the first vehicle(s) being delivered in late 2012.
The Hiawatha Line's original first-generation fleet of 27 Flexity Swift
Flexity Swift
The Flexity Swift tram is a family of urban and inter-urban light-rail vehicles manufactured by Bombardier Transportation for a wide number of customers across Europe...
LRVs was built by Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
; the Siemens "type II" LRVs will be mechanically, but not electronically, compatible with the current fleet of 27 "type I" vehicles, so while the two generations will be able to run on the tracks at the same time and either type would be able to push a malfunctioning unit of the other type, multiple-unit trains may only be assembled of one type.