Rail corridor service analysis for passenger rail service to Fargo and Kansas City; commissioner of transportation application for federal passenger rail corridor identification and development programming requirement; appropriating money

This bill requires Minnesota's Commissioner of Transportation to apply for federal funding to develop two passenger rail corridors: one extending from St. Paul to Fargo, North Dakota, and another from St. Paul to Kansas City, Missouri (with stops in Northfield, Albert Lea, and Des Moines, Iowa). It appropriates $1 million for fiscal year 2026 to cover application costs, planning, environmental analysis, and matching federal grants for these routes. The funds are specifically for Phase I corridor planning under Minnesota's 2015 rail plan and must be used for state share of project costs. The bill directly affects Minnesota's transportation department and communities along the proposed rail routes.