MN: Metro Transit proposes early January end to Northstar Commuter Rail

The end of the line for the struggling Northstar Commuter Rail could come in early January, according to a plan the Metropolitan Council will discuss Thursday and later vote on.

Under a Metro Transit proposal, the final Northstar train would run Jan. 3 or 4 of next year, after the last regular season Vikings game, and transition to bus service along parts of the route, according to Met Council meeting documents.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Council announced in February they were considering shutting down the Northstar train.

The agencies did not set a timeline for the decision, but the announcement came after MnDOT found running buses between Minneapolis and St. Cloud would cost $2 million per year, compared to the $12 million annual cost of running the Northstar.

“As the world and consumer demand changes, we must be willing to be flexible and innovative to offer better service while saving dollars,” the Met Council and MnDOT said in a statement.

The Northstar was originally conceived as a commuter rail line between Minneapolis and St. Cloud as a convenient way to connect central Minnesota to the Twin Cities. It never made it that far. Instead, it opened in 2009 between Minneapolis and smaller Big Lake, Minn.

The line has long struggled with ridership, a problem that was compounded by pandemic-era changes in riding habits and service cuts.

The Northstar has drawn the ire of Republican policymakers. Earlier this year, Minnesota’s Republican congressional delegation, led by Rep. Tom Emmer, wrote a letter to a federal appropriations subcommittee to recommend eliminating federal funding for the Northstar Commuter Rail line and other state rail projects. Rep. Jon Koznick, R- Lakeville, introduced legislation this year that would have, if passed, shut down the rail line.

Met Council documents outline a new Route 888 coach bus that would run between Ramsey and Minneapolis. Route 827, replacing the current 852, would run from Fridley to Minneapolis. The buses would run at 30-minute intervals during rush hours. Both would start in 2026.

Metro Transit and other government partners are discussing next steps along the line, including what to do with infrastructure and planning demolition of stations.

Nathaniel Minor of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.