Star Tribune, Minneapolis, IN, 7/26:
County land grab, new state law stand in path of Crystal rail connection
Crystal leaders were upset by railroads’ plan to link tracks there and reroute trains.
A new state law limiting railroads’ ability to take Hennepin County property and a last-minute $1.8 million land grab by the county now stand in the way of two railroads’ plan to connect tracks in Crystal and turn mile-long oil and freight trains south into Minneapolis along Theodore Wirth Park.
Crystal city leaders, who first heard of the proposed connection last winter and rallied opposition, say they are hopeful the railroads will back off. Canadian Pacific wanted to link its busy east-west line with BNSF’s sleepy north-south track to ease congestion, including rerouting Bakken oil field trains through Minneapolis.
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