Editorial: Rail line funding is great news for region

Talk about it

Funding for a multimillion-dollar rail line west of Mitchell apparently is safe, and that’s great news for the region.

It was announced recently that a $16 million grant from the federal government has been authorized for the project, which is expected to see a reconstruction of the line between Mitchell and Chamberlain. Separate from the track rehabilitation plan but dependent upon that project, a group of South Dakotans has announced that it wants to build a new $25 million shuttle grain facility in the Kimball area.

It sounds like a win-win situation, and we’re glad the project finally has this key funding mechanism in place.

Last week, South Dakota’s congressional delegation wasn’t so sure. A staffer from Sen. Tim Johnson’s office said there was no guarantee the proposed funding would survive budget cuts. A week later, it sounds like the money is a sure thing.

Rehabilitation of the track is scheduled to be performed this year. According to recent reports in The Daily Republic, the renovation is likely to cost more than $19 million. Funding not provided by the grant will come from Dakota Southern Railroad, the South Dakota Railroad Board and the Mitchell to Rapid City Regional Railroad Authority.

And later, an investment group hopes to construct the $25 million shuttle grain facility, which would load grain for shipment to the West Coast.

So in the end, the $16 million in congressional funding could mean miles of renovated railroad track, new jobs in the area and more opportunities for producers to reach large markets with their products. All told, it could mean more than $40 million spent in the Chamberlain-Kimball-White Lake region.

Such optimistic talk is refreshing, and we hope all of the plans become reality.

Tags: opinion, updates, editorial, columns