Members of a Rochester-based group were in Austin on Wednesday garnering support for bringing a high speed rail line to Rochester.

Marcia Marcoux, the outreach coordinator for the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance, spoke with Austin and Mower County officials about the benefits, not only to Rochester, but to Austin as well, of a passenger rail system in southeastern Minnesota.

“This is putting dollars in an investment for future generations,” Marcoux said.

The group’s hope is that a Rochester stop can be added to a line connecting Chicago and the Twin Cities. They claim that, as Minnesota’s third largest city, that it would be beneficial to have a direct rail connection to the first and second largest.

Marcoux says that the line would ease the commute for people living in the Twin Cities, but working in Rochester, including those at Minnesota’s largest employer, the Mayo Clinic.

The Rail Alliance is gathering the support of area communities for a study that they believe would show the viability of such a stop.

If a high speed rail line were added in Rochester, it would leave the door open for a possible connecting commuter rail line from Austin.

“This is just the first piece of it,” Marcoux said, “the support system that could go off of this is commuter rail.”

The Rail Alliance’s ideas were well received by the city and county officials.

“I’m excited by it,” said Mayor Tom Stiehm. “It is something we have to work on, but this could be huge for us.”

The group requested that a resolution be based in support of the line. County coordinator Craig Oscarson said that such a resolution could be brought before the Mower County Board of Commissioners as early as April 7.

“It looks like a no-brainer,” Oscarson said, “A lot of things that are good for Rochester are good for the region.”

No timeline was set for when a high speed rail line could be brought to Rochester if such a plan were approved by the state and federal government.

The federal government currently has almost $8 billion available as a stimulus for high speed rail nationwide. In order to be in compliance with federal regulations, the legislature must submit a statewide plan by the end of December.