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A commuter train heavily criticized for its dwindling ridership and seven-figure operating losses will offer its last trip next January, according to a timeline proposed by Metro Transit.
The Northstar Commuter Rail — which runs from Big Lake to Minneapolis — will permanently close within the first few days of 2026, the proposal says. A Metro Transit presentation noted that the closure will occur after the final Minnesota Vikings game of the regular season.
Plans are underway to replace the train with bus lines that will serve suburban communities along the commuter train’s 40-mile route. The Northstar train first began operating in 2009 and features five stops in suburban towns between its two end-points.
The proposed January closure of the Northstar line was positive news for one Republican legislator who has led the charge at the Minnesota State Capitol to shutter what he has called a “boondoggle.””
“For years, Northstar has drained public resources while ridership never met projections,” said Rep. Jon Koznick. “I’m encouraged to see the Met Council finally acknowledge what many of us have known all along, that Northstar is no longer a viable option, and to see it following through on the decision made earlier this year to end the route, consistent with the legislation we introduced to terminate it … is an exciting step in the right direction as we work to unwind 18 years of wasteful spending.”
Northstar Commuter Rail saw dramatic decline in ridership during pandemic
In 2005, the legislature approved a plan to build the Northstar rail. In total, the Northstar project has cost $320 million and received county, state, and federal funding.
While public transit enthusiasts said the line was serving one of the fastest growing places in the state (the Minneapolis – St. Cloud corridor), actual ridership fell well below projected estimates in the line’s first year of operation. Even in its peak ridership year of 2017, the commuter line was still averaging fewer riders per day than necessary to pay for itself.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Northstar ridership plummeted by more than 80 percent, and it never rebounded. In 2023, the line provided fewer than 100,000 rides, down from nearly 800,000 in 2019. The Northstar line has the second-highest passenger subsidy rate in the nation among similarly-sized commuter lines.
The Northstar Line takes in less than half a million dollars in rider fares annually but has a 2025 operating budget of more than $18 million.
Rep. Koznick previously authored legislation to end Northstar
During the 2025 legislative session, Koznick authored legislation that would have directed the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Metropolitan Council to ask the federal government for permission to discontinue Northstar Commuter Rail service without reimbursing the federal government.
However, Metro Transit announced during the session that they would explore phasing out the Northstar line and switching to bus service. On Wednesday, a statement from Koznick’s office said the decision “came conveniently as momentum for [Koznick’s] bill grew.”
“Transit users will now be better served with more frequent bus service that takes them where they want to go, when they need to get there,” said Koznick. “This is about providing convenient, cost-effective transit that Minnesotans actually need and use.”
The post Metro Transit proposes January closure for ill-fated Northstar Commuter Rail appeared first on Alpha News MN.
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