From an article by John Meyers in the Duluth News Tribune:
The board of the proposed Northern Lights Express passenger train line is reacting this week to a state consultant’s report that paints the railroad as a poor economic investment for public money.
Members of the NLX board will meet in St. Cloud on Wednesday and approve a response criticizing a Minnesota Department of Transportation consultant report that shows the proposed high-speed rail line between Duluth and Minneapolis would offer only 29 to 38 cents in economic benefit for every dollar invested.
The report also found poor returns for possible high-speed passenger lines from the Twin Cities to Fargo, Eau Claire, Rochester and Mankato — all well below the Federal Railroad Administration minimum guideline for economic return of $1 earned for every dollar spent.