High-Speed Freight Corridor

Plans to replace the existing main line will transform it into a high-speed freight corridor. Much of the main line is in poor condition. Old track contributes to some of DM&E’s derailments and limits train speeds in some areas to 10 miles per hour. Rebuilding the line and replacing old track with heavy-gauge continuous welded rail (CWR) should provide faster, more reliable service.

Concerns about the project stem from the resulting increase in train traffic. In replacing old rail and making other repairs, DM&E has been moving toward a main line of Class 3 track, which has a speed limit of 40 miles per hour for freight trains. Plans for DM&E’s coal project call for Class 4 track, which has a 60-mph speed limit. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, upgrading from Class 3 to Class 4 may or may not require additional investment. The higher class simply requires compliance with more stringent standards for track structure, geometry and inspection frequency.

Faster service, single-carrier access to the East and West Coasts (pending approval of Canadian Pacific’s acquisition of DM&E), and further development of the ethanol industry are certain to increase train traffic along the existing main line.

The Project

Replace the existing 579-mile main line from Wall S.D, to Minnesota City, near Winona, Minn.

• Since 2004, DM&E has installed CWR in Fort Pierre and Pierre, S.D., Hetland to Volga, S.D., and Verdi to Cambria, Minn.
• DM&E installed about 100 miles of CWR from Pierre to Wolsey in 1996. Because the railroad industry has moved to railcars with heavier capacity, that rail probably will have to be replaced.
• The Western end, (Wall to Fort Pierre, S.D.), a segment including Brookings, S.D., and the eastern end (Mankato, Minn., to Minnesota City) have not been rebuilt.

Community Concerns
Concerns in communities along the existing main line include:

• Public safety
• Quality of life
• Economic viability
• Property rights
• Historical preservation