Dan Patch Corridor
Encyclopedia
The Dan Patch Corridor is a proposed commuter rail line that would serve a region which runs from Minneapolis to Northfield, Minnesota
. The corridor consists of the tracks on the former Minneapolis St. Paul Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company lines, which came to be known as the Dan Patch lines. It was proposed as a passenger rail line in 2000 after being identified as a "Tier One" corridor in the Minnesota Department of Transportation's 2000 Commuter Rail System Plan before being given a study ban during the 2002 Minnesota legislative session. It sat in relative silence until 2008, when bills were introduced in the Minnesota State Legislature to potentially revive discussion.
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The Dan Patch Corridor was the brainchild of entrepreneur Marion Willis Savage. Incorporated in 1907 as the Minneapolis St. Paul Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company (MStPR&D), the line began service in 1908 as a passenger line running south from Minneapolis. Savage marketed the line as the "Dan Patch Line," a connection from Minneapolis to his farm in Savage, Minnesota
, where he housed his famous harness racing horse, Dan Patch
. After realizing that his horse was not enough to draw people to his rail line, he began work on Antlers Park, an amusement park
on Lake Marion which opened in 1910. The line then experienced steady ridership growth between 1911–1915, and revenue obtained from the park was used to extend the line south to Northfield.
Despite the early successes, the MStPR&D began encountering trouble in 1914 when it found itself unable to completely finance several expansion projects, including a southern expansion to Faribault, Minnesota
, which ultimately failed. Faced with growing debt, the line began taking on more freight traffic to make payments. The line found itself even further in debt by 1916, when Marion Willis Savage and Dan Patch died within several days of each other. Antlers Park was sold in 1917 to an employee of the MStPR&D, and the rail lines were taken over in 1918 by the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway
(MN&S).
Under the control of the MN&S, the corridor expanded and stretched all the way to Mankato
in the south and Randolph, Minnesota
, in the east in 1921 by means of a lease agreement between the MN&S and the Chicago Great Western Railway
. This encouraged passenger rail traffic between Mankato and Minneapolis, and provided the MN&S with a successful source of revenue that the MStPR&D lacked. In addition to the passenger traffic, the MN&S attracted new freight traffic to the line, and profited from the increased revenue accrued.
This increased emphasis on freight traffic proved to be a lifeline for the MN&S after increased bus and car usage grew in the late 1920s. The loss of passenger traffic resulted in the cut of the Northfield-Mankato and Northfield-Randolph passenger lines by 1931. A halt in all passenger traffic followed soon thereafter in 1942. The lines continued as freight lines after that point. The MN&S was acquired by the Soo Line Railroad
in 1982, and they, in turn, were sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway
in 1992.
from Minneapolis to Big Lake (operational as of 2009) and the Red Rock Corridor
running from Minneapolis to Hastings were completed.
suburban area along the route.
The law (Chapter 393, Sec. 85. Dan Patch Commuter Rail Line; Prohibitions) requires removing all references, other than references for historical purposes, to the Dan Patch commuter rail line from any future revisions to the Metropolitan Council's Transportation Development Guide and Regional Transit Master Plan, the State Transportation Plan, and the Commissioner of Transportation's Commuter Rail System Plan. Additionally, the Metropolitan Council, Commissioner of Transportation, and regional rail authorities must not expend any money for study, planning, preliminary engineering, final design, or construction for the Dan Patch commuter rail line.
to the Twin Cities. The line would use existing track and right-of-way owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway
, which is significantly cheaper than building a new rail corridor. Parts of the rail line are currently being leased by Progressive Rail
.
Northfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
. The corridor consists of the tracks on the former Minneapolis St. Paul Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company lines, which came to be known as the Dan Patch lines. It was proposed as a passenger rail line in 2000 after being identified as a "Tier One" corridor in the Minnesota Department of Transportation's 2000 Commuter Rail System Plan before being given a study ban during the 2002 Minnesota legislative session. It sat in relative silence until 2008, when bills were introduced in the Minnesota State Legislature to potentially revive discussion.
History
For more information on the MStPR&D and the MNS Ry., see the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern RailwayMinneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway
The Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway was an long American short line railroad connecting Minneapolis and Northfield, Minnesota. It was incorporated in 1918 to take over the trackage of the former Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company, also known as...
page.
The Dan Patch Corridor was the brainchild of entrepreneur Marion Willis Savage. Incorporated in 1907 as the Minneapolis St. Paul Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company (MStPR&D), the line began service in 1908 as a passenger line running south from Minneapolis. Savage marketed the line as the "Dan Patch Line," a connection from Minneapolis to his farm in Savage, Minnesota
Savage, Minnesota
Savage is a suburban city south-southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Scott County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city is situated on the south bank of the Minnesota River in a region commonly referred to as South of the River, comprising the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the...
, where he housed his famous harness racing horse, Dan Patch
Dan Patch
Dan Patch was the outstanding pacer of his day. Dan Patch broke world speed records at least 14 times in the early 1900s, finally setting the world's record for the fastest mile by a harness horse during a time trial in 1906, a record that stood unmatched for 32 years.-Life:He was a brown...
. After realizing that his horse was not enough to draw people to his rail line, he began work on Antlers Park, an amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
on Lake Marion which opened in 1910. The line then experienced steady ridership growth between 1911–1915, and revenue obtained from the park was used to extend the line south to Northfield.
Despite the early successes, the MStPR&D began encountering trouble in 1914 when it found itself unable to completely finance several expansion projects, including a southern expansion to Faribault, Minnesota
Faribault, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
, which ultimately failed. Faced with growing debt, the line began taking on more freight traffic to make payments. The line found itself even further in debt by 1916, when Marion Willis Savage and Dan Patch died within several days of each other. Antlers Park was sold in 1917 to an employee of the MStPR&D, and the rail lines were taken over in 1918 by the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway
Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway
The Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway was an long American short line railroad connecting Minneapolis and Northfield, Minnesota. It was incorporated in 1918 to take over the trackage of the former Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company, also known as...
(MN&S).
Under the control of the MN&S, the corridor expanded and stretched all the way to Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...
in the south and Randolph, Minnesota
Randolph, Minnesota
Randolph is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 436 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. State Highway 56 serves as a main route in the community. ...
, in the east in 1921 by means of a lease agreement between the MN&S and the Chicago Great Western Railway
Chicago Great Western Railway
The Chicago Great Western Railway was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City. It was founded by Alpheus Beede Stickney in 1885 as a regional line between St. Paul and the Iowa state line called the Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad...
. This encouraged passenger rail traffic between Mankato and Minneapolis, and provided the MN&S with a successful source of revenue that the MStPR&D lacked. In addition to the passenger traffic, the MN&S attracted new freight traffic to the line, and profited from the increased revenue accrued.
This increased emphasis on freight traffic proved to be a lifeline for the MN&S after increased bus and car usage grew in the late 1920s. The loss of passenger traffic resulted in the cut of the Northfield-Mankato and Northfield-Randolph passenger lines by 1931. A halt in all passenger traffic followed soon thereafter in 1942. The lines continued as freight lines after that point. The MN&S was acquired by the Soo Line Railroad
Soo Line Railroad
The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , controlled through the Soo Line Corporation, and one of seven U.S. Class I railroads. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste...
in 1982, and they, in turn, were sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
in 1992.
1998–2002: The line's resurgence
In 1997, at the request of the Minnesota state legislature, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) initiated a study investigating the feasibility of Commuter Rail in Minnesota. The study, released in 1998 and presented to the legislature in 1999, named the Dan Patch corridor as one of the three corridors in Minnesota with the highest potential for success. In 2000, the proposal was included in MnDOT's Commuter Rail System plan as a "Tier One" corridor, again seen as a project with a great likelihood of success. The plan placed the line at the third stage of the Minnesota commuter rail plan, to be developed after 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...
from Minneapolis to Big Lake (operational as of 2009) and the Red Rock Corridor
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...
running from Minneapolis to Hastings were completed.
2002: Study ban
The plan was still under consideration until 2002, when a bill banning further study on the route was pushed through the Minnesota legislature by two state senators, William Belanger (R-Bloomington) and Roy Terwilliger (R-Edina) who represented parts of the Twin CitiesTwin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
suburban area along the route.
The law (Chapter 393, Sec. 85. Dan Patch Commuter Rail Line; Prohibitions) requires removing all references, other than references for historical purposes, to the Dan Patch commuter rail line from any future revisions to the Metropolitan Council's Transportation Development Guide and Regional Transit Master Plan, the State Transportation Plan, and the Commissioner of Transportation's Commuter Rail System Plan. Additionally, the Metropolitan Council, Commissioner of Transportation, and regional rail authorities must not expend any money for study, planning, preliminary engineering, final design, or construction for the Dan Patch commuter rail line.
2008: Reintroduction
The corridor sat in relative obscurity for six years until discussion began again in the media and among public officials. Congestion along the route and further discussion about transit in general in Minnesota prompted legislators to introduce a bill at the beginning of the 2008 session to lift the ban and allow discussion to continue. The outcome of this bill has yet to be determined.Current commuter corridor
Most traffic commuting from the areas covered by the Dan Patch corridor flows along Interstate 35Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
to the Twin Cities. The line would use existing track and right-of-way owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, which is significantly cheaper than building a new rail corridor. Parts of the rail line are currently being leased by Progressive Rail
Progressive Rail
Progressive Rail Inc. , headquartered in Lakeville, Minnesota , is a short line railroad operating several branches including the Airlake Terminal Railway. Not all segments physically connect...
.
External links
- MnDOT info page on the Dan Patch Corridor
- Dan Patch Corridor: Commuter Rail Feasibility Study: Final Report