Great River Rail Commission reelects officers

The Great River Rail Commission has reelected Mark Vaughan and Paul Drotos, who each begin their third year as chair and vice chair, respectively.

Vaughan is a member of the city council in Hastings, Minnesota, and Drotos is commissioner of Goodhue County, Minnesota. 

The commission is made up of officials from 18 cities and counties along the Mississippi River between Saint Paul, Minnesota, and La Crosse, Wisconsin. It advocates for the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago Second Train Project to increase passenger rail and freight shipping capacity between the Twin Cities and Chicago, and increase economic development in Minnesota.

The commission is seeking $10 million from the Minnesota State Legislature that would result in $40 million in rail infrastructure improvements.