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After a three-year hiatus, the Northstar Corridor Development Authority’s (NCDA) commuter-rail project is back on the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) list of projects recommended for federal funding.

The annual New Starts report, released this week by the FTA, noted the authority has made “significant progress” on design and funding requirements during the past year, according to NCDA.

Last year, the state of Minnesota approved $37.5 million for the 40-mile commuter-rail line that would run between Minneapolis and Big Lake, Minn. The project also has received $44 million in local funds. This year, the state must approve the remaining $60 million in funding in order for NCDA to apply for a Full Funding Grant Agreement.

In 2003, the FTA removed the project from its list of recommended projects it hadn’t obtained state funding, which is necessary before a project can obtain federal New Starts funds.