Bills seek bonding money for rail crossing fixes

Advocates seeking funds to make fixes at some of the state’s most dangerous rail crossings along busy oil train routes would get a big boost under more than a half-dozen bills heard on an informational basis by the House Transportation Policy and Finance Committee.

With more oil trains than ever snaking along Minnesota’s railways on their way from western North Dakota, a Department of Transportation report early this year identified 15 crossings in critical need of grade separation projects.

Some of those critical rail and road intersections were included in the seven bills heard Thursday, requesting hundreds of millions of dollars in state capital investment dollars to separate cars and oil trains at busy crossings across the state. No action was taken.

MORE: See a map of 15 highest-risk rail crossings identified in MnDOT report

The bills heard Thursday were:

• HF640, sponsored by Rep. Ben Lien (DFL-Moorhead), that would make fixes at a pair of Moorhead crossings; a companion SF511, sponsored by Sen. Kent Eken (DFL-Twin valley), awaits action by the Senate Capital Investment Committee;
• HF680, sponsored by Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park), requesting funds for a project at a crossing along Hanson Boulevard in Coon Rapids; a companion, SF648, sponsored by Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin), awaits action by the Senate Capital Investment Committee;
• HF474, sponsored by Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck), requesting funding for a grade separation project in Glenwood; a companion, SF458, sponsored by Sen. Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake), awaits action by the Senate Capital Investment Committee;
• HF912 and HF914, sponsored by Rep. Lyndon Carlson Sr. (DFL-Crystal), seeking funding for highway-rail grade separation improvements in Crystal and Plymouth; those companions, SF885 and SF882, both sponsored by Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope), await action by the Senate Capital Investment Committee; and
• HF1888 and HF2127, sponsored by Rep. Abigail Whelan (R-Anoka), requesting funds for grade separation projects in Ramsey and Anoka; companions SF1850 and SF1991, sponsored by Sen. Branden Petersen (R-Andover), also await action by the Senate Capital Investment Committee.

The House on Tuesday passed an omnibus transportation policy and finance bill that includes $5 million in proposed funding for highway-rail grade separation projects; the MnDOT rail safety study identified more than $300 million in needs.

A measure that would assess the state’s largest rail operators up to $32.5 million per year to fund improvements at dangerous crossings was included in the Senate’s omnibus transportation bill. A similar measure proposed as an amendment to the House bill was defeated.