In 2016, the Minnesota Department of Transportation discontinued its study of the proposed Zip Rail project.

This also overturned a long-standing study ban on the Dan Patch Corridor[2][3][4] Previous to Zip Rail, supporters had pushed for a Chicago - Minneapolis High Speed Rail (HSR) routing, through the city of Rochester, Minnesota.

In contrast to the previous two studies, the 2003 Rochester Rail Link Feasibility Study[8] focused on a line to Rochester from the Twin Cities, but avoided discussing the merits of the city's presence on a line to Chicago in significant depth.

The study examined three motive-power options and recommended a TGV-like service linking the Twin Cities and Rochester using electrified trains operating at speeds up to 185 mph (298 km/h).

In this study, the trains would carry a mixture of passengers and cargo, allowing the Rochester airport to take over some of the air freight capacity of MSP.

The analysis claimed that the line would eventually pay for itself with passenger and cargo revenues more than covering the capital and operational costs over a 30-year period.

There are many segments along the river that can only support 90 mph top speeds or lower due to curvature.