Minnesota's Northstar Commuter Train Has Permanently Shut Down

The Northstar line opened in 2009 between Minneapolis and Big Lake MN, intended to be a rapid transit park & ride connection for commuters. Ridership never lived up to expectations, partly because the line was never completed to the next large town of St. Cloud. Without a destination and with the decline of in-office work after 2020, the train struggled to remain useful. It was finally retired at the beginning of 2026, and we rode one of the last round-trip runs to see what it had been like.

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