kgbw49In Minnesota property taxes go to the county and municipalities.
The state is able to add a levy, regardless the state still has an interest via the sales tax levy in promoting travel and tourism:
https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/understanding-property-tax.
kgbw49Glad the Downeaster works. Hope the Northern Lights Express will work. Know a second MSP-MKE-CHI frequency will work if it can hold to its trip time.
This is the basic mistake made when people review both corridors. The assumption that nothing will ever change in schedule or infrastructure and the first start up frequency is how things will forever be. It's never happened that way and from a pure accounting perspective the first train is always the most expensive with the fixed costs and the need to reopen and potentially staff depots. Subsequent trains share the fixed costs and their startup costs are lower as is their subsidy is lower than the first train. Additionally and incrementally, even if the state makes zero improvements....Amtrak tends to spend money improving stations and sometimes on right of way to speed up transit times over the corridor. So you either see a speed up in trains or more stations open along the route and the speed stays generally the same, either of those two items will result in increases in ridership.
Also, lets not forget that just 60 miles to the East of Duluth is Ashland, WI which was found by C&NW to be a viable terminus for the "Flambeau 400" from Chicago, for so many years (it was a 1950 start-up). So while I agree in part on the population density argument between the Northeast and this corridor in the Midwest. There is very significant patronage opportunity on this route in the Summer, it's not exactly sparsely populated.
The Flambeau 400 lasted all the way to Amtrak. My father rode it numerous times from Green Bay to Chicago before the interstates were built out.
Summer is busier up north, but summer is really, really short up there. I have biked numerous former rail ptrails in the region.
The busy season is about 10 weeks between when schools are out in early June and Labor Day.
Cabin activity tends to last into October, however, through hunting season.
If I-35 had not been built the railroad would definitely be faster to Duluth. I have driven the "old roads" adjacent to the BNSF route to Duluth and the travel time is much longer than on I-35.
it is too bad the direct rail bridge between Superior and Rice's Point in Duluth was removed - it would save probably 20 minutes and maybe more in travel time.
kgbw49it is too bad the direct rail bridge between Superior and Rice's Point in Duluth was removed - it would save probably 20 minutes and maybe more in travel time.
Thats a shame because Duluth and Superior are twin cities and having a train stop at both is convienence for the passenger. So I take it that BNSF also abandoned the ex-Northern Pacific between Duluth - Superior and Ashland, WI. Historically interesting because the Ashland connection to then Wisconsin Central I am sure was used by NP when it controlled WC.
I count at least two stupid rail removals in Wisconsin. The former C&NW Milwaukee to Waukesha line AND the former Milwaukee Road branch from Brookfield, WI to Waukesha. Both would have come in handy for any future Milwaukee to Waukesha rail commutte route.....saving mileage.
The BNSF line to Ashland is gone as well as the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic.
The only line left that goes to Ashland is owned by Watco now, having puchased it in 2022 from CN who in turn got ownership of it when they purchased Wisconsin Central.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.