Today (September 2, 2014), I and a number of representatives from Detroit Lakes, Perham, Staples, Wadena and Moorhead had the opportunity to meet with Governor Dayton to talk about trains in our community. We talked about train safety, the large number of trains and the problems of our local farmers to be able to get their products to market. At last count, 127 trains pass through our city on daily basis, 5 to 7 of them are oil unit trains. We have every indication that number is much larger, and growing.

I used to count them, as I sat waiting in my car, to see if it was over 100 cars on the train. Now, I don’t even bother. They are all over 100. Governor Dayton asked about our concerns. I told him that I was days away from becoming mayor when the Casselton train explosion happened. I spent the day researching train safety and visualizing it happening in Moorhead or Fargo. In 2014, Governor Dayton signed into law an increase in railroads inspections, ¾ paid for by an assessment on the railroads. He also initiated a study to prioritize investments in safety improvements that will be made in 2015. In addition, funding was established for safety preparedness and to re-designate Moorhead as an Emergency Response Team. It’s a start. I appreciate the Governor’s willingness to come to Moorhead and surrounding communities, and bring MN DOT and legislative representatives to hear directly from us about how the trains are affecting our lives. Thank you, Governor.