RR's have been surging for the last 20 years. More freight was hauled on the rails last year than ever in the history of railroading in this country. I have no idea where the author of this article got their info. RR's are booming and have been for a long time.

Now, if they promised to run a old steam train about once a week, then I'd be interested.

Just remember President Obama's EPA is ready to shut all this progress down. The choice is clear. Jobs in rural America depend on the right choices.

I am happy for rural America to get some of this oil money via sand mining.

If only more of the other freight was moved by rail for long distances and not by semi trucks, then our highways would last longer and have less congestion.

@ shushyn78 "Just remember President Obama's EPA is ready to shut all this progress down. The choice is clear. Jobs in rural America depend on the right choices."" Uh Not really, oil and gas exploration were exempted from the Clean Water Act by Bush/Cheney. That has allowed numerous shale deposits to be developed, some of which do result in environmental issues. Other deposits are deep enough that water quality is not an issue. Closer to home, the number of wells in North Dakota has DOUBLED since Obama took office. Leases to explore in the Arctic have been issued both before and after the Horizon/BP blowout. Meanwhile, coal mining is declining and natural gas use is up, both good things, for now. Nice try though..

This all sounds like an opportunity for the state to work with the railroad companies to not just exapand freight rail lines but also rebuild the passenger rail lines as well. Rail service would be helpful in getting all those needed workers to their jobs.

Uh, actually EPA is writing rules to implement moratoriums in key states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, but will probably not implement until after the election because too many Democrats would lose jobs working the fields. Politics is being played.

eastsider45...in general railroads may have been surging over the last 20 years, but in the last few years railroads across the country have stored thousands and thousands of railcars due to the slow economy, much to the dismay of residents in Lakeville, MN neighborhoods, for example. See Facebook at ProgressiveRailMoveYourTrain. The frac sand industry is a double edged sword...job creation/oil production vs. environmental issues. Progressive Rail/Wisconsin Northern were fined $49,000 in 2011 for wetands violations related to a transloading construction project in the Chippewa Falls/Eagle Point operation, not to mention a MPCA fine for Progressive Rail for environmental violations in Lakeville in 2005 & 2011. Meanwhile Lakeville still has sand hopper railcars stored in residential neighborhoods there. It's no place for railcar storage business.

wxyz123 - The Lakeville website looks like a typical NIMBY website. It says that they are not a rail yard. Well, who is, some other persons neighborhood?