The coal industry took another hit when the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration denied Dakota Minnesota & Eastern Railroad’s loan request.
DM&E had requested a $2.3 billion federal loan for its Powder River Basin project, originally proposed in 1998, the Argus Leader reported. Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Boardman said the loan was too high-risk for taxpayers.
“It’s obviously [...]

South Dakota’s top elected officials joined business leaders Tuesday to urge approval of a $2.3 billion federal loan for the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad’s expansion plan.
The project, which would haul coal from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin to Midwest power plants, also would create thousands of jobs and boost the rural economy in South Dakota [...]

Trains rumble slowly through downtown about three times a day, blocking traffic for a few minutes on the threshold of the Mayo Clinic.
The inconvenience isn’t a big deal to many of this city’s 95,000 residents. “Trains are romantic” and played a key role in the area’s history, says John Hunkele, 50, a baker.
But a plan [...]