MnDOT, Met Council announce likely end to Northstar Commuter Rail

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Metropolitan Council in the Twin Cities yesterday announced the likelihood that the Northstar Commuter Rail service will be replaced with a commuter bus service.

MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger and Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle issued a joint statement that a recent study of the Twin Cities-St. Cloud-Fargo/Moorhead Corridor made it clear that commuter service would be less expensive if buses were used instead of trains, local Twin Cities' news outlets reported yesterday. 

"We have jointly started the process to explore transitioning to bus service in this corridor. That process includes working with our federal partners and our rail partners at BNSF Railway, who we have appreciated as a critical partner," Daubenberger and Zelle said in their statement. "In the coming months, we will have more information, including timeline information and projected future savings. For Minnesotans who currently utilize this service, we are committed to working with you to ensure you have access to high-quality transportation in this corridor.”

The Northstar offers commuter-rail service between suburban communities and downtown Minneapolis. The service began in 2009, with ridership reaching a high of nearly 800,000 passengers in 2017. But ridership plunged after the COVID-19 pandemic and has struggled to recover since.

The MnDOT study found that closing the commuter-rail service would save Minnesota taxpayers about $12 million a year, while providing a similar service by bus would cost about $2 million a year, the KARE 11 news station reported.

The MnDOT and Met Council announcement comes as Minnesota state lawmakers consider a bill that calls for shutting down Northstar Commuter Rail.