Minnesota Statewide Freight Plan

1
Mn/DOT Rail Update
Bill Gardner Office of Freight and Commercial
Vehicle Operations Minnesota Department of
Transportation 2007 Midwest Regional Shortline
Railroad Annual Conference Two Harbors, MN
2
Mn/DOT Update

• Legislative Recap
• Safety Recap
• In the News

3
2007 Legislative Recap
4
Railroad Related Bills

• MN Rail Service Programmake railroads eligible
  for capital loans
• MN Rail Bank Programcertain activities
  misdemeanor,
• 100 ft. min ROW

5
Railroad Related Bills

• Numerous statewide passenger rail initiatives
  (LRT/commuter, inter-city, high-speed)
• Truck Size and Weight

6
Walkway Safety Act
7

• Rail Community Protection Act (Hazmat)
• Reports Disclosures of Railroad Information
• Report on Rail Infrastructure and Railroad
  Performance
• Railroad Prairie Preservation Act
• Remote control operation
• Certain Railroad-Related Educational Programs
  Prohibited
• Track and Ballast Warning Indicators
• Industrial Lighting Standards Rail Yard
  Junctions
• Rules Best Practice Clearance Standards
• Industrial Complex Safety Separation Multi-Use
  Loading and Unloading Facility
• Locomotive Security and Sanitation Standards
• Track Switches, Appurtenant Equipment
• Operations of Dual-Purpose Vehicle
• Relief from Duty Fatigue, Injury, or Fatality

8

• Police Authority of Conductors
• Prohibited Compensation Related to Work Injuries
• Employees Performing Service Protection from
  Elements, Yards, and Junctions
• Rail Line Abandonment and Public Interest
• Hazardous Material Information Requirements
• Conduct a Rail Transportation Study

9
Rail Crossing Crashes
Osage man dies from injuries sustained in
truck-train collision at Highway 28
crossingBrian Koria, 43
Concordia student dies in train accident
Man dies after his car strikes a train Edwin
Joseph, 65
Woman Killed In Car-Train Crash Lillian
Bjornerud, 71
Adam Bertek, 21
10
Vehicle/Train CrashesAt MN Public Crossings

• Fatalities Total Crashes
• 1970 56 392
• 1980 15 286
• 1990 18 115
• 2000 4 83
• 2005 7 56
• 2006 10 47

11
Coal Train Derails In Vadnais Heights
Crews Clean Ethanol Spill After Train Derailment
Worst Coon Rapids derailment in history on Sunday
results in no injuries
Bridge collapses, spilling railcars full of sugar

70 car loads of taconite were spilled
Several cars of train derail in Lake Park,
evacuation lifted...
12
In the News

• DME
• Orr Speed Ruling

13
In the News

• Grade crossing signage program
• Bimodal is here

14
In the News

• SW MN Regional Freight Study

Short lines provide an important option for
local, responsive (transportation) service, and
have taken on more importance as new
rail-dependent businesses including ethanol and
bio-diesel producers emerge in their rural
service territories. The railroad systems
ability to provide meaningful access and capacity
to rural shippers is critical for freight
transportation.