Wadena City Council passes resolution for more rail passenger service

More Minnesota cities are realizing the economic and mobility benefits that more rail passenger service can provide their residents. The Wadena City Council just passed a resolution asking the legislature to fund a second train frequency between the Twin Cities and Chicago, recognizing that the second train could be extended from the Twin Cities to Fargo/Moorhead, with a stop in Wadena. Amtrak's Empire Builder currently utilizes this route, but does not stop in Wadena currently and comes through late at night westbound and in the early morning hours eastbound. The closest stop to Wadena is Staples, MN. The last passenger train to stop in Wadena was Burlington Northern's Mainstreeter (before the BN merger, the Mainstreeter was a Northern Pacific passenger train that served this route on a daytime schedule. Full route of this train was St. Paul to Seattle), on May 1, 1971, the day Amtrak took over. The Mainstreeter was not retained by Amtrak.

St. Paul, Red Wing, Winona and La Crescent have all recently passed resolutions asking the Minnesota Legislature to fund the second train. All Aboard Minnesota just recently announced this with a Press Release. The Press Release is posted in our sites About/News and Media/Press Release section.

The Wadena Pioneer Journal covered this story. Click Here to read the article