Public transit advocates to host ‘One Last Ride’ on Northstar Commuter Rail on Friday
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Streets.mn is holding an event called “One Last Ride” Friday afternoon, inviting people to take the Northstar Commuter Rail ahead of its final scheduled run on Jan. 4.
“We wanted to give people a chance to try it at least once before it goes away. I mean, just kind of as a goodbye, farewell of the train service,” said Jeb Rach, who is on the events committee for Streets.mn.
Northstar is Minnesota’s first and only commuter line. Opened in 2009, the 40-mile line stretches between downtown Minneapolis and Big Lake, a northwestern Twin Cities suburb.
In August, the Metropolitan Council voted to discontinue train service and transition to commuter buses. Ridership on the Northstar rail had plummeted following the COVID-19 pandemic, going from about 2,660 rides a day to just a few hundred, and the train was operating at a financial deficit.
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Rach said buses are likely better suited to today’s reality. The buses will offer all-day service throughout the week, whereas the Northstar rail is limited to specific commuter hours due to contracts with BNSF Railway, which owns the tracks.
Metro Transit reports the Northstar corridor will increase from 40 train trips per week to nearly 400 weekly bus trips.
Still, Rach is disappointed this also means the end of efforts to extend train service to St. Cloud — what was originally planned in the 1990s.
He said commuter rail is unique because of its high carrying capacity. It also operates at higher speeds than buses, bypasses traffic and has better scenery.
“You see different slices of life from the train versus what people see on a freeway,” he said.
The “One Last Ride” event starts at Target Field Station at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. Attendees will ride to Big Lake and back, then gather for a social hour at Modist Brewing Co.
Rach said he hopes attendees gain an appreciation for the Northstar train and can understand both the pros and cons of commuter rail as a transit option.
