Major railroads refuse to pay new state fee meant to improve safety

Ryan Raiche KSTP
Updated: March 29, 2024 - 7:39 PM
Published: March 29, 2024 - 6:30 PM

The two largest freight railroad companies operating in Minnesota have told state officials they are not going to make the roughly $1 million payment that’s required under a new state law intended to improve rail safety.

BNSF and CPKC both sent letters last month to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety indicating that, while they are committed to safety, they will not pay the bill because the new state law is “pre-empted by federal law.”

State Senator Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis), one of the lawmakers who wrote the law, called it “disappointing.” … “This was like a bolt out of the blue and a complete shock,” Dibble said.

The new law, which passed during the 2023 session, collects roughly $1 million annually from each of the major freight railroad companies in Minnesota. The money is intended to go towards a number of public safety needs, including emergency preparedness, training, and staffing costs.

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