A federal Appeals Court today (THURS) rejected the approval of the largest rail expansion since the Civil War. The Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad want to build and rehabilitate hundreds of miles of rail track across Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wyoming for high-speed coal trains. The ruling is a small victory for the projects opponents. But even they admit it's likely to only cause a short delay for the 2-billion dollar rail expansion. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally (Gal buh lee) reports: {The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals 65 page ruling praises the federal Surface Transportation Board for its thorough review of Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad expansion proposal. But it also calls for more analysis on some issues, such as noise, historic preservation and the environmental implications of more coal usage.