Northstar Commuter Rail

Infobox rail line
name = Northstar Commuter Rail
type = Commuter rail line
system = Metropolitan Council
status = Under construction [ [http://himlehorner.typepad.com/northstar/ Northstar Blog] ]
locale = Minneapolis, Minnesota, Hennepin County, Minnesota, Anoka County, Minnesota, and Sherburne County, Minnesota. Eventually extending to Benton County, Minnesota and Stearns County, Minnesota
start = Minneapolis Central Station
end = Big Lake Station
stations = 6 planned
routes =
ridership = 5,600 est.
open = 2009
close =
owner = BNSF Railway (infrastructure) Metropolitan Council (rolling stock)
operator = BNSF Railway
character = Commuter rail
stock =
linelength = 64km (40 miles)
tracklength =
notrack =
gauge = RailGauge|sg (Standard gauge)
el =
speed = 79 mph max
elevation =
box_width = 370px

infobox rdt|Northstar Corridor|

The Northstar Corridor is a transportation corridor between Minneapolis and St. Cloud in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Currently served by car on Interstate 94 and U.S. Highway 10 and bus, Metro Transit Route 888 (Northstar Commuter Coach), the corridor will receive an additional mode, commuter rail, via the Northstar Commuter Rail line under construction and opening in late 2009. The corridor links St. Cloud to the Minneapolis-St. Paul region including Saint Paul, the state's capital.

The new rail line will use existing track and right-of-way owned by the BNSF Railway, more cost effective than building a new rail corridor. [ [http://www.northstartrain.org/facts.html Facts and Figures] Accessed 07/01/2006] When the line opens it will run only 40 miles from Minneapolis to Big Lake, Minnesota. A study has been approved by the NCDA to analyze the expansion of the line to the full 94 miles that would take it into St. Cloud and through to Rice, Minnesota, by 2014. [ [http://himlehorner.typepad.com/northstar/2007/04/northstar_corri.html Expansion News] ]

Commuter rail

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) studied options for development of the corridor to handle the increasing commuter load, and felt that a commuter rail line was the best option. It is expected to cost about US$265 million in 2008 dollars, estimated to be approximately 1/3 the cost of upgrading existing highways. Because most of the rail that would be used is already in existence, the costs would mostly go into building new train stations, upgrading track, enhancing crossings, and adding railroad sidings so that commuter trains and freight trains (which currently run on the track) can pass by each other. A significant portion of the cost is to be used in extending the Hiawatha Line to just above the future downtown Minneapolis Multi-Modal station on the West side of I-394 and 5th Street, next to the new Minnesota Twins ballpark opening in 2010.

Bus feeder lines would bring residents who live along the corridor to the nearest train station. Once in downtown Minneapolis, commuters would be able to walk upstairs to the Hiawatha Line light-rail corridor, or take a bus into neighboring St. Paul and other areas. Current plans would have six trains run in the morning and evening rush hour periods, along with a few during the day and limited service on weekends and holidays. It is estimated that 5600 rides would be taken each day, saving those commuters 900,000 hours over the course of a year, (26 minutes per day per person) compared to taking a dedicated bus line. The overall benefit should be even higher, saving time for drivers by reducing congestion. [ [http://www.mn-getonboard.org/factsheet2007.pdf Mn/DOT Northstar General Fact Sheet] Accessed 06/11/2007]

Background

The route was initially designed to run the full distance between Minneapolis and St. Cloud, but the plan was not well-received by Minnesota politicians. Many have supported the idea of new passenger rail service in the state in the past few decades, but few plans have gotten off the ground. Governor Jesse Ventura was an early advocate of the Northstar commuter rail line, and convinced some people to come around to his point of view. However, current Governor Tim Pawlenty did not initially support the idea, and said he would not support it when he campaigned for the governorship. However, he changed his mind after the Federal Transit Administration determined that a scaled-back version of the line would cost less to initially build and would have lower maintenance costs after going into operation compared to other options.

Many hoped that funds would be approved for the project during Minnesota's 2004 legislative session, but the representatives at the capitol were unable to find common ground on a number of issues, the issuing of bonds among them. The project appeared stalled and many requested the governor to call a special session of the legislature, but some counties in the area and the Metropolitan Council came up with matching funds to allow funding from the United States federal government to continue.

During the 2005 legislative session a bonding bill passed that was very similar to the proposed 2004 bonding bill that included 37.5 million dollars of funding for the Corridor. The issue was believed to have changed the composition of the Minnesota House as the election in 2004 saw at least two non-supporters in direct vicinity of the Corridor ousted by opposition candidates. The bill, worth $866 million, was signed on April 11, 2005, by Governor Tim Pawlenty at the Riverdale Station in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. This funding along with a total of 55 million dollars in local funding is matched with Federal funds and has allowed the NCDA to enter Final Design. A nearly $1 billion budget bill passed by the legislature in May 2006 will provide funding to complete the corridor to Big Lake. [ [http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/14634807.htm Legislature passes $1 billion public works bill] Accessed 07/01/2006]

On December 11, 2007, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Thomas Barrett met with Governor Tim Pawlenty in Anoka County and officially signed a Full Funding Grant Agreement of $156.8 million, nearly half of the funding for the $320 million, 40-mile line from Minneapolis to Big Lake. The money enabled the release of an additional $97.5 million in state bonding money set aside for the project.Paul Levy and Joy Powell, [http://www.startribune.com/local/north/12339686.html Finally, all aboard Northstar rail] , "Star Tribune", December 10, 2007.] Paul Levy, [http://www.startribune.com/local/north/12389261.html Northstar set to roll, but how far?] , "Star Tribune", December 11, 2007.]

The federal government paid $156.8 million, the state will pay $98.6 million, and the Anoka County Regional Rail Authority has pledged $34.8 million. The remaining partners are Sherburne County Regional Rail Authority ($8.2 million), Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority ($8 million), the Metropolitan Council ($5.9 million) and the Minnesota Twins ($2.6 million, for the station improvements under the new Target Field where the Minneapolis station is to be constructed).Paul Levy and Joy Powell, [http://www.startribune.com/local/north/12339686.html Finally, all aboard Northstar rail] , "Star Tribune", December 10, 2007.]

Fleet

According to Metro Council meeting minutes, the Northstar Corridor Development Authority will execute an option with MotivePower for five MP36 locomotives, at a total cost of $13,823,000. This appears to end earlier speculation that the Northstar might run on GO Transit's old engines. [ [http://councilmeetings.metc.state.mn.us/transportation/2007/0514/2007-183.pdf Metro Council Meeting Minutes 14 May 2007] Accessed 10/04/2007] It is assumed, though not verified, that Northstar will use the Bombardier BiLevel Coach

External links

* [http://www.northstartrain.org/ Northstar Commuter Rail]
* [http://www.northstartrain.org/map.html Proposed route map]
* [http://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/onepagers/northstar.html Mn/DOT Info page]
* [http://www.commutercoach.org/ Northstar Commuter Coach (Metro Transit Route 888)]

References

* (July 2005), "City Rail briefs", "Trains Magazine", p. 29. (Details of the April 11, 2005, bonding bill)