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Central Corridor Joined To Hiawatha LRT Line

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Crews working on the Central Corridor light rail line that will connect downtown Minneapolis with downtown St. Paul reached a milestone on Wednesday.

The line was officially joined with the existing Hiawatha LRT line in Minneapolis.

"This weld is our own version of the golden spike for the transcontinental railroad as it connects the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis," said Mark Fuhrmann, local program director for New Starts rail projects.

Service on the Central Corridor line is scheduled to begin in 2014. On a macro level, the line will connect downtown St. Paul with the St. Cloud area, via the existing Northstar line.

The communications manager for the Central Corridor project issued a status update on other key areas of current construction. Six stations on the Central Corridor line are structurally complete. The latest two stations to reach that stage were at Fairview and Snelling Avenues.

Also, the first traction power substation has been installed. It will be used to help power the trains.

Check this website for any other updates on Central Corridor construction.

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