Northern Lights Express Corridor ID Project, Step 2

Minnesota Department of Transportation

Buyer requests proposals for Step 2 of the Corridor ID work for the Northern Lights Express passenger rail project. The project involves updating a Service Development Plan for the 152-mile corridor between Minneapolis and Duluth. Buyer seeks to develop necessary documentation to advance the project through the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor ID program to Step 3. The work will identify capital projects and programmatic actions needed to implement passenger rail service along the BNSF Railway corridor.

• 6/25/2025 - Questions Due
• 7/2/2025 - Answers Posted
• 7/15/2025 - Proposal Due Date

• Develop updated Purpose and Need Statement for passenger rail corridor
• Conduct market analysis of transportation options between Minneapolis and Duluth
• Update alternatives analysis for route options and service configurations
• Perform transportation planning including travel demand forecasting
• Analyze environmental factors associated with alternatives
• Develop financial planning and economic evaluation
• Identify governance structure for implementation and operation
• Create phased implementation plan for corridor development
• Update Service Development Plan from 2017
• Coordinate with railroads, agencies and public stakeholders