Transit officials consider future of Minnesota's Northstar rail line

MN: Transit officials consider future of Minnesota's Northstar rail line
Local bus and light-rail ridership has also slumped due to the virus, but not as sharply as Northstar’s free fall.

Janet Moore
Star Tribune (TNS)
Oct 19th, 2020


After several dozen passengers boarded the 4:27 p.m. Northstar Thursday at the Target Field stop, the locomotive edged forward and departed right on time.

If it weren’t for passengers wearing telltale masks, it could have been any other fall afternoon. But ridership on Northstar, a commuter train that connects downtown Minneapolis to Big Lake while running through the Twin Cities’ northern suburbs, has plunged about 95% since the COVID-19 outbreak.

As the Metropolitan Council considers harsh budget realities for public transportation next year, the fate of Northstar has come into sharper focus. Should it be shut down temporarily? Should buses replace train service? And what’s the status of the long-proposed extension to St. Cloud?

“All options are on the table at this time,” said Met Council Spokeswoman Terri Dresen, in an e-mail. ...............(more)

https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/news/21158799/mn-transit-officials-consider-future-of-minnesotas-northstar-rail-line