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Stillwater, Minn. (AP)

Minn. DNR moves to buy Zephyr rail line for trail

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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is moving closer to converting the former Minnesota Zephyr rail line near Stillwater to a recreational trail.

The DNR says in a news release Friday that it has obtained exclusive rights to purchase the line, which it intends to convert to a 6.5-mile-long trail.

The Minnesota Zephyr dinner train was one of the community's most popular attractions for 20 years, until it shut down in December 2008.

DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten says the department doesn't yet have all the funding it needs for the project, but he's confident it will be able to come up with the rest.

When completed, the recreation trail would connect Stillwater to the Gateway State Trail. The DNR acquisition would not include the Minnesota Zephyr train itself.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)