St. Charles Mayor Bill Spitzer has been elected as the new president of the Minnesota High Speed Rail Commission.  Spitzer replaces Winona Mayor Jerry Miller who headed the statewide commission for the past four years.
                   
Tuesday Spitzer told the Winona County Regional Railroad Authority... made up of all five county commissioners...that with rail usage expected to increase to an estimated 36% in the next 10 to 15 years, the commission will continue to focus on bringing high speed trains to Minnesota.
                   
Spitzer also said high on the group's priority list is to continue efforts to get Amtrak to authorize a second passenger train per day between the Twin Cities and Chicago, something that would be a big benefit for Winona.  Spitzer said a second passenger train would enable passengers to take day trips to both the Twin Cities and Chicago, returning the same day they left.