by Otto M. Vondrak/photos as noted
The concept of commuting by rail can trace its roots back to the populous cities of the Northeast, when the first commercially successful railroads began to appear as early as the 1830s. Soon, the surrounding villages and towns grew into attractive suburbs where folks could live in the “country” yet have convenient access to work, shopping, and entertainment in the city. Railroads “commuted” or discounted their regular fares to encourage multiple trips, and the “commuter” was born.
Many metropolitan areas saw explosive postwar growth in the 1950s, giving rise to new suburbs, and with them, new patterns of travel. A number of cities across the country saw the continuation of their existing commuter services under the auspices of a public transit authority in the 1970s and 1980s, but for many urban areas the only way to get around was by driving your own car on congested highways. As public sentiment turned away from highway expansion, the federal government encouraged alternatives, which led some states to launch brand-new light rail and commuter rail lines where no such services had existed before.
Minneapolis and St. Paul make up the nation’s 16th-largest metropolitan area, with more than 3.7 million people living in the 15 counties surrounding the Twin Cities. Development began in the 1820s, and the region grew quickly, thanks to its location at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. The heavy manufacturing the region depended on began to fade in the 1960s. However, the Twin Cities made a successful transition to high-technology, finance, and information industries through the 1980s and 1990s. The first streetcar lines appeared as early as 1865, and the two rival systems in Minneapolis and St. Paul were merged in 1890 as Twin City Rapid Transit. A stock takeover by a rogue investor in 1949 led to an accelerated plan to replace trolleys with buses, which was completed four years early in 1954.
ABOVE: MNRX 502 leads a double-header out of Target Field Station on May 4, 2019, in a canyon between buildings that have grown up along the right-of-way in downtown Minneapolis. —Otto M. Vondrak
The first Union Depot was built in St. Paul in 1881, and in its heyday, it hosted Great Northern; Northern Pacific; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Milwaukee Road; Soo Line; Chicago & Northwestern; Chicago Great Western; Minneapolis & St. Louis; and Rock Island trains. Despite the density and frequency of service offered, none of the railroads provided anything that would meet the definition of a true commuter service connecting the cities and suburbs. When Amtrak took over the nation’s long-distance service in 1971, it consolidated service to the former GN depot in Minneapolis, and later to the new “Midway” station in 1978.
To help coordinate improvements and funding to mass transit, the state legislature formed the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) in 1967. Chief among its concerns was the deteriorated level of bus service operated by Twin City Lines, which led to a public buyout in 1970. Around this same time, the new transit agency began exploring the possibility of returning rail transit to the region. A 1972 study recommended a 37- or 57-mile regional heavy rail system, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that potential light rail corridors would be identified for funding studies.
By 1997, MTC had been rebranded as MetroTransit, and political support for possible light rail projects was peaking. Gov. Jesse Ventura and Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg both pushed for the construction of light rail, and federal funding helped propel the Hiawatha Line (today’s Blue Line) into reality. Construction on the 12-mile line began in 2001, and it partially opened for service in 2004. While this was a promising start, Ventura’s successor, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, campaigned against any future light rail expansion. When the light rail option for the Central Corridor (today’s Green Line) connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul was approved in 2006, Gov. Pawlenty initially vetoed state funding for the project (although a revised bill passed in 2008). Construction began in 2010, and it opened to the public in 2014. In 2024, the Metro Transit light rail lines carried nearly 15.5 million riders, slightly less than the 16 million reported 10 years ago.
ABOVE: An outbound Northstar train to Big Lake passes a BNSF freight at Northtown Yard on May 4, 2019. Under the current agreement with BNSF, service is limited to five round-trips on weekdays and three on weekends. —Otto M. Vondrak photo
A Rail Revival
The genesis for today’s MetroTransit Northstar commuter rail dates to 1997, when the Minnesota Department of Transportation was investigating possible corridors for commuter rail. One potential route was the Red Rock Corridor, to connect Minneapolis with Hastings, operating on Canadian Pacific (former Milwaukee Road) track. A second route was the Dan Patch Corridor, running over a former interurban line (later operated by Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern) between Minneapolis and Northfield, a distance of 40 miles. The third route was the Northstar Line, operating over BNSF tracks from Minneapolis to St. Cloud, a distance of 81.8 miles. In the original plans, Northstar would be completed first as it had the highest potential for success, followed by Red Rock, and finally Dan Patch.
Plans for the Red Rock Corridor shifted from rail to bus rapid transit in 2014, which was implemented in 2016. In 2002, state legislators passed a law which banned further study of the Dan Patch Corridor, though a revised rail plan in 2010 proposed commuter rail to Mankato, operating over the winding Dan Patch Line (a former interurban) to Savage, and then switching to Union Pacific rails on a new connection. The gag order has since been rescinded, and MnDOT continues to list the Dan Patch Corridor as a “Tier 1” project to be completed by 2030.
In addition, a plan for a new higher-speed passenger service linking Minneapolis and Duluth began to gain traction in 2000. The “Northern Lights Express” was the subject of extensive feasibility studies in 2006 and 2007, and currently remains one of MnDOT’s priority projects.
ABOVE: Extra service provided for home games at Target Field helped bolster ridership. Twins fans make their way toward the stadium after disembarking from a Baseball Extra on April 12, 2010. The Twins beat the Red Sox in their season home opener. —Nick Benson photo
The Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) was formed in 1997. The route was initially designed to run between Minneapolis and Rice, Minn., just outside of St. Cloud, serving 11 stations along the way. MnDOT submitted its first draft environmental impact statement in 2000, followed by a final statement in 2002. The Federal Transportation Administration responded with its decision at the end of 2002, allowing the Northstar Line project to move forward, but without the much-needed federal funding contribution due to lower-than-expected ridership estimates. Those federal funds would have paid up to half of the initial construction costs.
In an attempt to keep the project alive, the proposal was amended to define the “Minimum Operable Segment,” which cut the plan in half to about 40 miles, terminating at Big Lake. Three stations in Rice, St. Cloud, and Becker were eliminated, and infill stations at Coon Rapids–Foley Boulevard and 7th Street in Minneapolis were “deferred.” Frequency was cut from 18 trains a day to 12. The reduced segment was identified as “Phase I,” while expansion to St. Cloud and the construction of five additional stations was referred to as “Phase II,” though without a firm schedule for completion…