1 Introduction
Passenger and freight rail mobility is key to sustaining the pace of economic growth in
Minnesota in the 21st Century. With this in mind, Minnesota’s commercial and economic growth
will depend in the future, as it has in the past, on efficient transportation not only between its
own cities, but also with those of the rest of North America. The Rochester-Twin Cities airport
rail link meets this need as both an enhancement of the regional transportation system and an
economic engine for the future growth of the region. The proposed airport-to-airport high-speed
rail link will reduce the travel time between the Twin Cities and Rochester airports to 40
minutes. It will further allow Rochester to function as the reliever airport in the state as well as
provide the first leg of the proposed Tri-State and MWRRI/Twin Cities-Rochester/LaCrosse
connection. This connection will make Rochester integral to the 3,000-mile MWRRI system and
provide access to Rochester, not just from Twin Cities, but also from all the cities and towns of
the nine-state MWRRI region. Both of these options will greatly enhance local and regional
mobility and maximize the opportunity for economic growth in the region