FLC OF A DC9-30 WERE REQUESTED TO EXPEDITE THEIR CLB IN AN URGENT MANNER BY ZAU RADAR CTLR JUST PRIOR TO HDOF TO ANOTHER CTR CTLR. SUBSEQUENT CTLR INFORMED CREW THAT THERE WAS OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT 2 DIFFERENT ALTS IN THEIR CLB AND THAT THE OTHER CTR CTLR HAD TURNED THE OTHER 2 ACFT OUT OF RPTR'S CLBING FLT PATH.

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WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON J10 E OF DSM VORTAC CLBING TO THE LAST ASSIGNED ALT OF FL290. WE WERE CLBING AT A RATE OF 1000 FPM AT 300 KIAS THROUGH FL255 WHEN ZMP; WITH A TONE OF URGENCY; INSTRUCTED US TO 'EXPEDITE THROUGH FL260; OVER!' I ACKNOWLEDGED 'ACR X LEAVING FL255 EXPEDITING THROUGH FL260.' ZMP (FREQ 118.82) AGAIN; WITH A TONE OF URGENCY; 'ACR X EXPEDITE YOUR CLB THROUGH FL260; CLB AND MAINTAIN 290; CONTACT ZAU ON 128.52!' I RESPONDED 'ACR X LEAVING FL260 AT THIS TIME; CLRED TO FL290; ZAU 28.52.' WHEN CHKING ON WITH ZAU (FREQ 128.52) WELCOMED US ABOARD AND SAID THEY HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR US. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE HAD JUST BEEN INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT HIM AND THAT WE WERE NOW LEVELING FL290. HE THEN ASKED US IF WE HAD RADIO PROBS; BECAUSE ZMP HAD TOLD HIM WE WERE NORDO (NO RADIO). I SAID THAT TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR RADIO WAS WORKING FINE AND THEN TOLD WHAT HAD JUST TRANSPIRED WITH ZMP. I THEN ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN A PROB. THE CTLR SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT BOTH FL260 AND FL280 AND THAT HE HAD TO TURN THEM BECAUSE WE WERE CLBING THROUGH THOSE ALTS; BUT THAT NOW EVERYTHING WAS OK. I THEN SAID THAT WE HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OVER TO HIM AND THAT WE WERE LEVEL AT OUR LAST ASSIGNED ALT OF FL290. THE CTLR RESPONDED 'THAT'S FINE; EVERYTHING IS OK NOW.' MY FO AND I REVIEWED WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. THE FO WAS FLYING; I HAD BEEN WORKING THE RADIOS. WE WERE/ARE 99.9% SURE THAT WE HAD NOT MISSED ANY PREVIOUS CALLS; AND THAT THE FIRST CALL FROM MSP WAS TO 'EXPEDITE...!' WE BOTH THINK THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A BREAKDOWN IN COORDINATING OUR FLT BTWN ZMP AND ZAU WHICH LED TO THE TFC CONFLICT(S). NO TA'S OR RA'S ON OUR AIRBORNE TCASII EQUIP WERE OBSERVED.