Get on board with the Northern Lights Express

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

•••

After decades of fits and starts, the Northern Lights Express could, at last, provide regular passenger service between the Twin Cities and Duluth within a few short years.

That would be welcome news for several reasons. It would further connect two distant parts of the state, putting day trips within reach of those who may or may not have access to a car. It would infuse new life into the Duluth economy, and make it easier for northern Minnesotans to plan outings to the metro.

This is not a commuter train like the Northstar line between downtown Minneapolis and Big Lake. But it is expected to run four times daily with tickets costing $30 to $35 one-way. Traveling at speeds up to 90 mph, the train is expected to cover the distance — including stops at Coon Rapids, Cambridge and Hinckley and Superior, Wis. — in 2.5 hours.

There have been and will be naysayers. Those who complain that the train takes even longer than driving on a good day. That the ticket price is more than most motorists would pay for gas.

Both true. But just try taking Interstate 35W during peak cabin season on any given long weekend or in the months of horrific road conditions known as a Minnesota winter. Try finding a weekday in good weather when parts of the interstate aren't narrowed to one lane from never-ending construction. Our guess is it won't be long before Tobies in Hinckley sells its famed caramel rolls to train passengers at everybody's favorite halfway point.

But there are other reasons to be excited about the resumption of train service to the North Shore. Train travel was once a regular feature of life in Minnesota. It should be again. It has been 38 years since Amtrak discontinued service to Duluth. A resumption of that service would put Minnesota closer to widening transportation options beyond the car culture that has dominated the state for too long.

Ken Buehler, a Northern Lights Express Alliance member, said in a recent Star Tribune story that "It's going to change everything. It's going to be one of the major drivers to revitalize downtown Duluth, and it's going to bring in more tourism than we can imagine."

Plans to re-establish service go back to around 2000, when a preliminary feasibility study was conducted. There was another, more comprehensive one later that decade. In 2011 the feds granted $5 million for environmental and engineering studies. Each time plans hit some bumps. In 2019 Gov. Tim Walz earmarked $11 million as seed money for the project, but there was no bonding bill that year.

This time, the state is in the rare position of unlocking nearly $780 million in federal funds by putting forward $194 million of its own money. The additional funds are partly due to President Joe Biden's Infrastructure Investment Act, which won bipartisan support.

The Alliance has said benefits could include more than $375 million in new tax revenue, $400 million more in tourism and emission and CO2 savings of about $50 million.

But there are caveats, as well. Republicans have expressed skepticism about the project based on its price tag, potential cost overruns and delays, and the somewhat hazy ridership projections. Those are all valid points to raise, and every effort should be made to ensure proper planning, transparency about any overruns or delays, and more up-to-date ridership projections so that the state has as few surprises as possible.

That said, a higher-speed passenger train that spans more than half the state, with the federal government picking up 80% of the cost, is a bargain Minnesota may never see again.