Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Mark Dayton has announced that $2 million in federal funding for the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority in Redwood Falls was approved yesterday by the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Dayton pushed for the funding, which is included in the fiscal year 2007 Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill. The bill will soon go to the full Senate for consideration. Dayton will work with House and Senate Conferees to ensure the funding remains in the final bill.

“This project is one of my top transportation priorities for south central Minnesota,” said Dayton. “This line will help communities along its route, bringing new jobs to the region and revitalizing the local economies.”

The Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority will use the funding to rehabilitate the existing rail for approximately 35 miles of track, between Gibbon and Norwood Young America. The rehabilitation is required to haul 110-car unit trains, used to transport ethanol from nearby Heartland Corn Products in Winthrop. Heartland is currently in the process of tripling its production, to 100 million gallons per year, and will be ready for shipments by the end of 2006 or early 2007.

Gene Short, Vice Chair of the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority and Redwood County Commissioner said, “I really appreciate all the work Senator Dayton has done for the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority, and that he realizes the importance of this project to the economic stability of southwestern Minnesota.”

Based in Redwood Falls, MVRRA operates 94.7 miles of track through Carver, Sibley, Renville, Redwood, and Yellow Medicine Counties. Dayton has successfully sought annual appropriations for the project. To date, Dayton has secured nearly $7.5 million in federal funding for MVRRA.

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