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105-597: The Northstar Line ( reporting mark MNRX ) is a commuter rail route in the US state of Minnesota . Northstar runs 40 miles (64 km) from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis at Target Field using existing track and right-of-way owned by the BNSF Railway . Passenger service began on November 16, 2009. The rail line serves part of the Northstar Corridor between Minneapolis and St. Cloud . Planning for

210-680: A wye , the route turns northwest in the GN East side line, which then joins the parallel ex-Northern Pacific main line. The ex-Great Northern and ex-Northern Pacific lines are merged into BNSF and this is now the BNSF Northern Transcon (transcontinental) line. The route travels north through the Northtown Classification Yards, over Interstate 694 and makes its first stop at 61st Avenue in Fridley at

315-695: A 2-digit code indicating the vehicle's register country . The registered keeper of a vehicle is now indicated by a separate Vehicle Keeper Marking (VKM), usually the name of the owning company or an abbreviation thereof, which must be registered with the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) and the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and which is unique throughout Europe and parts of Asia and Northern Africa. The VKM must be between two and five letters in length and can use any of

420-489: A 2003 report by the Texas Transportation Institute indicated that the area was the 17th most congested area in the country, with the second fastest congestion growth. Rail projects struggled to gain political support until the 1990s, when several factors combined to make the idea more palatable. Governor Jesse Ventura and Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg heavily promoted

525-734: A 2009 study by Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. At Target Field Station, the parallel rail lines of the old Great Northern Railway (north side track now BNSF) and the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway (south side track now Union Pacific) travel eastbound past the Federal Reserve Bank, the site of the old Minneapolis Great Northern Depot , across the Mississippi River on the Minneapolis BNSF Rail Bridge and then across Nicollet Island . At

630-539: A bonding bill including $ 37.5 million of funding for the proposed project was passed. The bill was signed on April 11, 2005, by Governor Tim Pawlenty at the site of the Riverdale station in Coon Rapids . The 2006 state legislature, along with city, county and federal governments, provided funding to complete the corridor to Big Lake. Construction began on the maintenance facility near Big Lake station and on

735-481: A capacity of 66 seated passengers and 120 standing. Currently two or three vehicles are run together to increase capacity. The line accounts for about 13% of Metro Transit's total ridership. Less than two years after opening, the line had already exceeded its 2020 weekday ridership goal of 24,800. The line carried 10.6 million riders in 2015. In 2018 weekday ridership on the Blue Line was 32,921. Ridership for both

840-660: A control room at the system's maintenance facility, located between Cedar-Riverside and Franklin Avenue stations. According to Metropolitan Council meeting notes dated July 30, 2010, for the August 9 Transportation Committee meeting, Siemens Industry Incorporated agreed to build the Light Rail Vehicles for the three-car train expansion project in a joint procurement with the Green Line's initial LRV procurement, at

945-509: A day and not have trains stopping at stations between Minneapolis and St. Cloud. Extending the line to Camp Ripley was proposed in 2019 by House of Representative legislators. Another extension feasibility study sponsored by MnDOT was released in July 2020. Possible extension of the line has been revived in the 2022 Transportation Omnibus bill passed by the MN legislature. The bill includes funding for

1050-453: A few more tenths to the length. Groundbreaking for the line took place on January 17, 2001. In March 2004, the labor union representing Metro Transit bus workers went on strike. This delayed the opening of the line from the anticipated start date of April 3, although there was some indication that the opening would have been delayed anyway. Apparently, some of the delay had to do with slow delivery of trainsets from Bombardier. Certain aspects of

1155-464: A hyphen. Some examples: When a vehicle is sold it will not normally be transferred to another register. The Czech railways bought large numbers of coaches from ÖBB. The number remained the same but the VKM changed from A-ÖBB to A-ČD. The UIC introduced a uniform numbering system for their members based on a 12-digit number, largely known as UIC number . The third and fourth digit of the number indicated

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1260-413: A master funding agreement in 2018 that covered operating expenses through 2022. Anoka County ceased paying their financial contribution by the second half of 2020. The county requested a reduced payment due to reduced ridership. By 2022, the county owed Metro Transit $ 7.9 million for operating expenses stretching from 2020 to 2022. Special event service to Minnesota Twins games was not offered in 2022 due to

1365-631: A number to communicate with police and teams dedicated to helping homeless riders were added in the same year. In January 2020, the Met Council approved $ 1.3 million in spending to install new 360-degree 4K resolution cameras on all Metro Transit light rail cars by the end of 2020. Another stabbing that resulted in death occurred on a train in Bloomington in January 2020, but no charges were filed due to claims of self-defense. Other transit in

1470-574: A pedestrian plaza that is used for loading riders onto trains after events at US Bank Stadium. While passing the Downtown East Commons , the route travels through downtown on surface streets. The line shares the road with one lane of automobile traffic through downtown with the exception of the block along Government Plaza station where the street is closed and a pedestrian plaza connecting the Minneapolis City Hall and

1575-418: A per-LRV cost of $ 3,297,714 and a total contract value of $ 153,211,516. According to Mark Fuhrmann's presentation at the July 26, 2010, Transportation Committee meeting, these "Type II" LRVs are mechanically, but not electronically, compatible with the current fleet of 27 "type I" vehicles, so while the two generations are able to run at the same time and either type would be able to push a malfunctioning unit of

1680-700: A predecessor of the CNW, from which the UP inherited it. Similarly, during the breakup of Conrail , the long-retired marks of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and New York Central Railroad (NYC) were temporarily brought back and applied to much of Conrail's fleet to signify which cars and locomotives were to go to CSX (all cars labeled NYC) and which to Norfolk Southern (all cars labeled PRR). Some of these cars still retain their temporary NYC marks. Because of its size, this list has been split into subpages based on

1785-532: A scaled-back version of the line would qualify for federal funding. The 2004 Minnesota Legislative session did not pass a bonding bill, which meant a lack of funds for initial project work. 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 state legislative session,

1890-659: A security checkpoint at the Mall of America and the stadium station . Service at other stations was replaced with free shuttle buses. In July 2011, the Metropolitan Council officially approved renaming the Hiawatha Line as the Blue Line. This is part of a broader color scheme for identifying Twin Cities transit lines, including the Green Line light rail to St. Paul , the Orange Line bus rapid transit along I-35W, and

1995-625: A study that would consider different possible rail service to the St Cloud and Fargo-Moorhead regions. This could include recommendations to extend Northstar. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Metro Transit eliminated weekend service and special event service. Weekly trips dropped from 72 to 20. Ridership on the line was down 95% in August 2020 compared to before the pandemic. Lakeville 's state representative, Jon Koznick , proposed shuttering Northstar operations in 2021 but that would require

2100-681: A visual design award from the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators. By January 2015, there had been 11 deaths from accidents on the line, eight of them pedestrians. After two more people were killed in separate incidents on the Blue Line, one a bicyclist and one a man in a wheelchair, signs saying "See Tracks? Think Train" were added at locations of recent deaths along the Blue Line and Green Line. As of September 2019, 15 people have died in crashes with Blue Line trains. Additionally, there has been concern over violent assaults, robberies, and disorderly conduct that occurs on

2205-536: Is a rail corridor north of Minneapolis, but changed his mind about that project in January 2004 when a scaled-back version was shown to have good potential. For many, the Hiawatha Avenue corridor was not the top choice for a new project. Popular other options included connecting Minneapolis with the western suburbs, though probably the most-desired option has been the Central Corridor connecting

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2310-525: Is behind the Riverdale shopping center by Round Lake Boulevard and new stations were also built in Anoka, Elk River, and Big Lake. The Great Northern Railway and Northern Pacific Railway had local services from Minneapolis to all of the cities currently served by Northstar up through the early 20th century. One Fridley station was about a mile north of the current stop, at Mississippi Boulevard. There possibly

2415-459: Is located beneath the east parking ramp of the mall and has direct access to the mall. The station offers connections to the Red Line and other local bus routes including those operated by Minnesota Valley Transit Authority . From the Mall of America trains travel east towards the 28th Avenue station park-and-ride ramp. The route travels through Bloomington's South Loop District before reaching

2520-408: Is not an entirely new idea for the region, as many of the higher-traffic bus stops around the city have distinctive designs. Due to the unique makeup of Minneapolis' population, ticket-dispensing machines present instructions in four languages: English , Spanish , Somali and Hmong . Travel time is roughly two to three minutes between most stations. The airport used to operate a bus shuttle between

2625-530: Is operated by Metro Transit , the primary bus and train operator in the Twin Cities . As of December 2022, the service operates from approximately 3:19   am to 12:50   am with 15‑minute headways most of the day. The route averaged 32,928 daily riders in 2019, representing 13 percent of Metro Transit's ridership. The line carried 10.6 million riders in 2015. In South Minneapolis , several bus routes converge at transit centers along

2730-627: Is planned. A $ 99 million grant request was filed under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to cover most of the cost. TIGER grants are expected to be awarded on February 17, 2010. Foley station was among cuts to the Northstar plan in 2003 while federal funding was being sought prior to construction. Despite the fact the 3,200-stall parking facility already existed (sans boarding platforms), riders would not save enough time by switching from existing bus service to rail to make

2835-427: Is still no weekend service. An increase in the sales tax in the seven-county metropolitan area approved in the 2023 Minnesota legislative session will help cover the increased expenses. The line opened in 2009 with five MPI MP36PH-3C locomotives and seventeen Bombardier BiLevel Coach cars. Each passenger car has about 140 seats and room for 355 when full with standees. The coaches have two doors on either side. Upon

2940-490: Is the first and only city to use this LRV model in the United States. Vehicles have a color scheme that is primarily a combination of blue, yellow, and white. Yellow was the color used on the previous streetcar system in the area. Each vehicle has an A , B and C section: The A and B sections are the large portions on each end, while the C section is a small portion that connects the two other pieces and has

3045-563: The Hennepin County Government Center . With a stop at Nicollet Mall the line offers connections to an important transit and pedestrian corridor. The train terminates at Target Field station which offers connections to the Northstar Commuter Rail . Each of the 19 stations along the route is designed in a unique architectural style reflective of the station's surrounding community. This

3150-602: The Hiawatha Line ( Route 55 ) prior to May 2013, the line was originally named after the Milwaukee Road 's Hiawatha passenger train and Hiawatha Avenue , reusing infrastructure from the former and running parallel to the latter for a portion of the route. The line opened June 26, 2004, and was the first light rail service in Minnesota. An extension, Bottineau LRT , is planned to open in 2028. The Blue Line

3255-649: The Minnesota Twins ($ 2.6 million, for the station improvements under the new Target Field where the Minneapolis station was constructed). Of the $ 317 million total, $ 107.5 million went to paying BNSF for a perpetual easement for track rights and facilities along the line and to pay the BNSF employees that operate the trains. The operating budget for the first full year of service, 2010, was $ 16.8 million. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and

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3360-669: The TTX Company (formerly Trailer Train Company) is named for its original reporting mark of TTX. In another example, the reporting mark for state-funded Amtrak services in California is CDTX (whereas the usual Amtrak mark is AMTK) because the state transportation agency ( Caltrans ) owns the equipment used in these services. This may also apply to commuter rail, for example Metrolink in Southern California uses

3465-521: The Terminal 2–Humphrey station of the MSP Airport across from Fort Snelling National Cemetery . To cross the MSP Airport the line then enters a pair of 7,300 feet (2,200 m) tunnels that required a tunnel boring machine and cost $ 110 million to construct. While traveling through the tunnels, trains stop at the 65 feet (20 m) underground Terminal 1–Lindbergh station . Once emerging from

3570-527: The 1950s. Over the years since the last trolley ran in 1954, many people have pushed for the reintroduction of rail transport in the Twin Cities. Proposals for a modern streetcar or light rail along the Hiawatha Avenue corridor appeared in the pages of the Star Tribune as early as 1974. The primary reason is that traffic congestion has grown considerably since the streetcar system ceased operation:

3675-513: The 26 letters of the Latin alphabet . Diacritical marks may also be used, but they are ignored in data processing (for example, Ö is treated as though it is O ). The VKM is preceded by the code for the country (according to the alphabetical coding system described in Appendix 4 to the 1949 convention and Article 45(4) of the 1968 convention on road traffic), where the vehicle is registered and

3780-568: The AAR, maintains the active reporting marks for the North American rail industry. Under current practice, the first letter must match the initial letter of the railroad name. As it also acts as a Standard Carrier Alpha Code , the reporting mark cannot conflict with codes in use by other nonrail carriers. Marks ending with the letter "X" are assigned to companies or individuals who own railcars, but are not operating railroads; for example,

3885-562: The Blue Line Extension to run west from Target Field to Lyndale Avenue, then through north Minneapolis via Lyndale Avenue, West Broadway Avenue, and Bottineau Boulevard, until it meets the originally planned route near 73rd Avenue and West Broadway. The Blue Line runs from downtown Minneapolis to the Mall of America for a length of 12 mi (19.3 km). The southern terminus at the Mall of America station and transit center

3990-539: The Blue Line light rail extension in September 2007, before full funding for the line had been secured. On December 11, 2007, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Thomas Barrett met with Governor Pawlenty in Anoka County and officially signed a Full Funding Grant Agreement of $ 156.8 million, nearly half of the funding for the $ 317 million, 40-mile (64 km) line from Minneapolis to Big Lake. The money enabled

4095-576: The Blue Line provides free, 24/7 service between Lindbergh and Humphrey terminals. A night owl shuttle train , the Airport Shuttle , runs between terminals during times when no Blue Line service is scheduled. The Minneapolis–St. Paul area once had an extensive network of streetcars (operated for many years by Twin City Rapid Transit , a precursor of Metro Transit), but the tracks were removed and services were eliminated in

4200-670: The Green and Blue Lines combined was down 59% in 2020 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ridership had begun to recover in 2023, but average weekday ridership remained below 20,000 The Blue Line uses a proof-of-payment system, requiring riders to carry tickets at all times. Fares are purchased before boarding, either at ticket machines located in the stations or by scanning a Go-To card at dedicated pedestals. Tickets are valid for 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours after purchase, with transfers available to other Metro lines as well as any Metro Transit bus routes. Fares can range from 50¢ within

4305-689: The Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, and city of Bloomington also contributed some funds. The Blue Line was extended several blocks northwest from the Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue station to the Target Field Station in 2009. The station was paid for by the Minnesota Twins as part of the construction and opening of Target Field . The two-level station has light rail platforms on

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4410-564: The Northstar Commuter Rail commuter line began operation, this segment had hosted 63 trains per day. The Minnesota Department of Transportation would like to run more passenger trains through the corridor, including Northstar and other proposed passenger rail routes like the proposed Northern Lights Express to Duluth . A $ 113.4 million project to add a third main line and a new station at Foley Boulevard in Coon Rapids

4515-505: 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 was expected to cost about US$ 265 million in 2008 dollars, estimated to be less than one-third the cost of upgrading existing highways, though the cost would later climb to $ 317 million. Because almost all of

4620-415: The Twin Cities themselves (Minneapolis and St. Paul) with a route down the middle of Interstate 94 or University Avenue . However, much of the land had already been acquired by the state in the 1960s to build a sunken radial expressway into downtown that was never built. In addition to the available land, the desire to connect to the airport and at least reach the vicinity of the Mall of America proved to be

4725-682: The VKM BLS. Example for an "Einheitswagen" delivered in 1957: In the United Kingdom, prior to nationalisation, wagons owned by the major railways were marked with codes of two to four letters, these codes normally being the initials of the railway concerned; for example, wagons of the Great Western Railway were marked "G W"; those of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway were marked "L M S", etc. The codes were agreed between

4830-541: The acquiring company discontinues the name or mark of the acquired company, the discontinued mark is referred to as a "fallen flag" railway. Occasionally, long-disused marks are suddenly revived by the companies which now own them. For example, in recent years, the Union Pacific Railroad has begun to use the mark CMO on newly built covered hoppers, gondolas and five-bay coal hoppers. CMO originally belonged to Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway ,

4935-459: The area's second light rail line, the Green Line connecting downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul began in late 2010 and opened on June 14, 2014. On April 26, 2011, the U.S. government announced $ 478 million in funding for its construction. During Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018, hosted at U.S. Bank Stadium , the Blue Line was restricted to ticketholders and ran with non-stop service between

5040-506: The bigger draw for decision-makers. The idea of running a rail line down Hiawatha Avenue had already been around for at least a decade by the time the decision was made to go forward. In 1985, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) had produced an Environmental Impact Statement that concluded that light rail was the best alternative for the corridor. In 1996, the document was examined again as Mn/DOT looked at

5145-521: The bugs were worked out and the Go-To Cards became operational. In basic service trains operate every 10 to 15 minutes and operate less frequently in the early morning and late-night. Additional trains operate on Friday and Saturday nights. The line shuts down for about four hours each night, except for a shuttle service between the two terminals at the MSP airport which run 24 hours a day. Vehicles have

5250-485: The congested downtown region). They are of a 70% low-floor design, meaning that 70 percent of the floor inside is within about 14 inches (356 mm) of the ground. This is the same height as the rail platforms, allowing stepless access for passengers dependent on wheelchairs or other mobility aids. The feature also makes it easier for passengers with bicycles or strollers to board the train. Each vehicle weighs about 107,000 pounds (48,534  kg ) when empty. Minneapolis

5355-467: The construction budget for one vehicle and Hennepin County funds for the other two. The noses of these vehicles are built to a different design than is standard for the Flexity Swift, containing a small scoop-shaped area. This assists in the removal of snow, but the anticipated snow-management method is merely to run trains on a frequent basis rather than actually using snow removal equipment (this

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5460-410: The design had been tried before, but the cars were the first to combine the factors of conforming to American standards (as opposed to European ), having low floors and being built at the company's Mexico plant. Some problems also cropped up during testing of the vehicles, but Bombardier said that the issues were not out of the ordinary. When the buses began rolling again on April 19, the line's opening

5565-433: The end of January 2010, goals were exceeded by 3%. Ridership for 2010 was originally projected to be 897,000 though ultimately ended up at 715,000. Because ridership varies significantly through the course of a year, Metro Transit's month-to-month goals are different from the yearly average goal. Daily ridership was 2,814 in 2019, the same level it was in 2017. It was projected to be 5,590 in 2025 and 6,200 in 2030, according to

5670-448: The first letter of the reporting mark: A railway vehicle must be registered in the relevant state's National Vehicle Register (NVR), as part of which process it will be assigned a 12-digit European Vehicle Number (EVN). The EVN schema is essentially the same as that used by the earlier UIC numbering systems for tractive vehicles and wagons , except that it replaces the 2-digit vehicle owner's code (see § Europe 1964 to 2005 ) with

5775-414: The full line. However, the same plan estimated farebox recovery ratios of just 21% to 34% on the proposed Northern Lights Express , which in a 2007 business plan had calculated ratios of over 100%. On November 8, 2010, it was announced that the planned extension of the line to St. Cloud had been indefinitely delayed. Projected ridership is not sufficient to qualify for federal funding. Proposals to extend

5880-508: The funding issue. Northstar served 81,561 rides to 64 Minnesota Twins games in 2019. Anoka County ended up paying Metro Transit for 2020 and 2021 operating expenses after the 2021 bill was reduced from nearly $ 6 million to $ 1.95 million due to funds from BNSF and federal COVID relief bills. For the 2022 operating budget, Anoka County considered a $ 1.95 million payment to be their "full and final payment for 2022" despite Metro Transit requesting $ 4.6 million. Anoka County argued that they are paying

5985-477: The idea of rail transport, and significant amounts of money became available from the federal government. Previous governors had advocated light rail, but had not been able to get legislation passed. Governor Tim Pawlenty had campaigned on a promise to fight the expansion of light rail, but altered his opinions after taking office. He also initially opposed the Northstar Line commuter rail project, which

6090-430: The lack of double-tracked rail for nine miles (14 km) from Big Lake to Becker . However, due to increased freight traffic on the line, BNSF double-tracked the corridor in 2015. The Minnesota Department of Transportation says that extending Northstar would result in 1 to 1.5 million annual trips on the line. In its 2010 State Rail Plan, the agency stated an expectation of farebox recovery ratios between 70% and 111% on

6195-405: The line began in 1997 when the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) was formed. The corridor is also served by Interstate 94 and U.S. Highway 10 . In 2023, the system had a ridership of 142,200, or about 500 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The route was initially designed to run the full distance between Minneapolis and Rice, Minnesota, northwest of St. Cloud. The project

6300-543: The line had six trains running in the morning and evening rush hour periods, and limited service on weekends and holidays. Bus feeder lines, including the Northstar Link from St. Cloud to Big Lake station , bring residents along the corridor to the nearest train station. Once in downtown, commuters can walk upstairs to the METRO Blue and Green Lines, take a bus into other areas of the city, or go into one of

6405-442: The line have continued to surface in the years following opening of the line. In 2016 and 2018, Minnesota state legislators proposed extending the line to St. Cloud using existing equipment by running two daily round-trips to St. Cloud and reducing other trips to Minneapolis from five to four. Governor Mark Dayton proposed a six month demonstration service to St. Cloud in 2017 but the demonstration would have only included 1 round trip

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6510-417: The line state that extensions of the route and other alterations, plus the impact of inflation, are the real reasons for the increased cost. Initial designs cut out the last stop in downtown, and the southern end of the line did not quite connect to the Mall of America. The Warehouse District stop was added early but another cost increase came from approximately $ 40 million to enhance the line (while construction

6615-462: The line, offering connections to other Metro lines and frequent bus routes. The line has two park and ride stations, the Fort Snelling and 30th Avenue stations , with a combined capacity of 2,569 vehicles. Major destinations along the corridor include downtown Minneapolis, Lake Street , Minnehaha Park , Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport, and the Mall of America . At the airport,

6720-553: The most reliable services from Metro Transit. Starting in the winter of 2014, on-time performance suffered due to heavy freight traffic and severe cold weather. By the end of February 2014, on-time reliability was down to 74 percent. Freight traffic from the North Dakota oil boom contributed to congestion and delays for trains. The delays were also felt by the Amtrak Empire Builder route which travels through

6825-460: The nearby buildings integrated into the Minneapolis skyway system . In the first year, 2010, Metro Ridership fell well short of its goal of 3,400 weekday trips from this station. Metro Transit has a goal for of 5,900 by 2030 intending to save those commuters 900,000 hours over the course of a year when compared to taking a dedicated bus line. From its opening until January 2014, Northstar trains arrived on time for 96 percent of trips making it one of

6930-484: The new rail system on June 26, 2004. Officials estimated 30,000 people boarded the electric-powered trains during the transit system's first day of service. Train rides were free. Each station featured live entertainment and food as a diversion for the long waits to board the trains. Predicted daily ridership was 19,300 for 2005 and 24,600 for 2020. Busways are still being examined for many future projects and it appears likely that at least one will be built. Construction of

7035-679: The opening, Metro Transit immediately announced that a sixth locomotive was being acquired from the Utah Transit Authority 's FrontRunner service in the Salt Lake City area and a lease agreement was soon signed. Typical weekday operation requires five trains, each consisting of one locomotive and three or four coaches. A single train is used for weekend service, making three round trips each day. The platforms are only designed for five-car trains, so longer trains would require additional construction. Metro Transit did begin experimenting in April 2010 with six-car trains for taking riders to and from weekend Twins games at Target Field. These trains overhang

7140-500: The operational Red Line bus rapid transit service along Cedar Avenue. The name officially changed on Friday, May 17, 2013. Starting July 8, 2022, in a planned 5 week project, the Blue line shut down 5 stops from Mall of America to Airport Terminal 2 for the ' Largest construction project in the light rail line's history.' According to Metro Transit, the project consists of replacing sections of tracks that "have worn out and upgrades technology that guides safety systems." In addition,

7245-433: The original cost of the service provided $ 2.85 million for buying the locomotive and repainting it in Northstar livery. Reporting mark In North America , the mark, which consists of an alphabetic code of two to four letters, is stenciled on each piece of equipment, along with a one- to six-digit number. This information is used to uniquely identify every such rail car or locomotive, thus allowing it to be tracked by

7350-399: The other side of Highway 55, the line runs on the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Short Line roadbed which brought Hiawatha passenger trains to the downtown depot . After crossing I-35W on a dedicated bridge, the train begins to share tracks with the Green Line and enters downtown by traveling around U.S. Bank Stadium . The U.S. Bank Stadium station is surrounded by

7455-427: The other type, multiple-unit trains can only be assembled of one type. The Metro Blue Line uses 12 "Type II" S70 LRVs. With an expansion of the light rail system happening with the opening of the Green Line in 2014, Metro Transit rolled out a new rail safety campaign, with representatives of Metro Transit customers visiting schools and organizations situated near the Blue Line to discuss rail safety. The campaign won

7560-572: The owner of a reporting mark is taken over by another company, the old mark becomes the property of the new company. For example, when the Union Pacific Railroad (mark UP) acquired the Chicago and North Western Railway (mark CNW) in 1995, it retained the CNW mark rather than immediately repaint all acquired equipment. Some companies own several marks that are used to identify different classes of cars, such as boxcars or gondolas. If

7665-405: The owner, or more precisely the keeper of the vehicle. Thus each UIC member got a two-digit owner code . With the introduction of national vehicle registers this code became a country code. Some vehicles had to be renumbered as a consequence. The Swiss company BLS Lötschbergbahn had the owner code 63. When their vehicles were registered, they got numbers with the country code 85 for Switzerland and

7770-511: The platform at either end and only open one door on each of the end cars. In May, trains serving Twins games grew to eight cars, with some completely overhanging the platforms so some riders would have to board and then walk from one car to another. By June, Metro Transit had decided to purchase the sixth locomotive it had leased from UTA (No. 512) due to high leasing costs and the need to have an extra locomotive for when others are being repaired or inspected. A $ 10.1 million contingency fund built into

7875-430: The possibility of adding bus rapid transit along the road, but money for light rail became available soon after, leading to the current layout. The line's cost totaled $ 715.3 million, with $ 334.3 million coming from the federal government. This is considerably higher than initial budgets predicted—the figure was about $ 400 million in 1997. Opponents to the rail line state that it went far over-budget, but supporters of

7980-506: The rail system are charged the same fare as they would pay for the local Metro Transit bus system, and they are able to use their bus transfer cards to switch between the two different modes of transportation without making another payment. A new payment system using smart cards (locally known as Go-To Cards ) was initially expected to be introduced along with the rail line in June 2004, but software bugs delayed introduction. By September 2006,

8085-406: The railroad it is traveling over, which shares the information with other railroads and customers. In multinational registries, a code indicating the home country may also be included. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) assigns marks to all carriers, under authority granted by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board , Transport Canada , and Mexican Government. Railinc , a subsidiary of

8190-573: The railways and registered with the Ministry of Railways , Government of India . METRO Blue Line The Metro Blue Line is a 12-mile (19.3 km) light rail line in Hennepin County , Minnesota , that is part of the Metro network. It travels from downtown Minneapolis to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport and the southern suburb of Bloomington . Formerly

8295-762: The railways and registered with the Railway Clearing House . In India, wagons owned by the Indian Railways are marked with codes of two to four letters, these codes normally being the initials of the railway divisions concerned along with the Hindi abbreviation; for example, trains of the Western Railway zone are marked "WR" and "प रे"; those of the Central Railway zone are marked "CR" and "मध्य", etc. The codes are agreed between

8400-596: The release of an additional $ 97.5 million in state bonding money set aside for the project. The federal government paid $ 156.8 million, the state paid $ 98.6 million and the Anoka County Regional Rail Authority pledged $ 34.8 million. The remaining partners were Sherburne County Regional Rail Authority ($ 8.2 million), Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority ($ 8 million), the Metropolitan Council ($ 5.9 million) and

8505-431: The reliability and maintainability of our system." An extension of the line to Brooklyn Park is planned. On August 3, 2020, after years of disagreements with The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company regarding use of BNSF's right-of-way, Metropolitan Council announced they would begin to "explore opportunities to advance this critical project without using BNSF Railway right of way." Current plans call for

8610-422: The repayment of $ 85 million in federal funds used to construct the project. The Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate proposed closing Northstar in the 2022 legislative session and included asking the federal government to not require the repayment of federal funds. Metro Transit and MnDOT in combination with three counties that Northstar operates in, Anoka County, Hennepin County, and Sherburne County, agreed to

8715-820: The reporting mark SCAX because the equipment is owned by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority —which owns the Metrolink system—even though it is operated by Amtrak. This is why the reporting mark for CSX Transportation , which is an operating railroad, is CSXT instead of CSX. Private (non-common carrier) freight car owners in Mexico were issued, up until around 1990, reporting marks ending in two X's, possibly to signify that their cars followed different regulations (such as bans on friction bearing trucks) than their American counterparts and so their viability for interchange service

8820-670: The route being used already existed, the investment mostly went into building new stations, upgrading track, enhancing the safety of crossings, and updating signals. A significant portion of the funds were to extend the METRO Blue Line to the Target Field station on the west side of Interstate 394 and 5th Street in downtown Minneapolis. This terminal station is integrated into the Minnesota Twins ' new ballpark, Target Field , which opened in March 2010. During normal operation,

8925-411: The same amount from their 2021 bill for 2022 because the same amount of service is being offered while Metro Transit states it cannot increase service without covering the full operating costs of the line. The Metropolitan Council is conducting a study on the future of Northstar post pandemic but the study will not produce any decisions or recommendations. The study is tentatively expected to be completed

9030-649: The same corridor. Delays were severe enough for legislators to hold a public hearing at the State Capitol with BNSF in attendance. During the hearing, BNSF stated that delays were due to cold weather and not freight traffic. The cold weather caused mechanical issues and limited how long crews could work outside. BNSF spent money on repairs and maintenance along the corridor over 2014, which included replacing ties, switches, and adding switch covers which would protect switches from ice and snow. While January through October 2014 saw trains arriving on-time just 65.7 percent of

9135-705: The station platforms while people wait for the trains. There was a murder by stabbing at the Lake Street/Midtown station in December 2014. Aggravated assaults, which involve the use of a weapon to cause serious injury, continued to increase through 2019 including another murder by stabbing at the Lake Street/Midtown station in October 2017. Increased police officer hours, including the use of plainclothes police officers, were added to address safety concerns in 2019. Other efforts included allowing riders to text

9240-466: The stop fit within the guidelines enforced by Federal Transit Administration's cost-effectiveness index. A station in Ramsey at Ramsey Town Center was also cut prior to construction. Ramsey station construction has since been fully funded, and construction began on March 27, 2012; it was completed on November 8 and opened on November 14, 2012. A major obstacle to extending Northstar to St. Cloud had been

9345-400: The time, during the month of December trains were back to 95 percent on-time performance. Metro Transit offered refunds to customers whose trains were more than 10 minutes late in January and February 2015 in an effort to draw back ridership. During January 2015 trips were on time 98% of the time. Ridership in the first 15 days averaged 2,207 per day (33,112 total), short of a goal of 2,460. By

9450-593: The tunnel, the line serves two park-and-ride lots at Fort Snelling station . From Fort Snelling station, the line travels on the surface in separated right of way parallel to Minnesota State Highway 55 while stopping at stations near the VA Medical center, Minnehaha Park , and other locations in south Minneapolis. Trains travel on bridges over traffic at busy intersections near Lake Street and Franklin Ave with overhead stations located at each crossing. After crossing to

9555-418: The two Downtown Zones of Minneapolis and St. Paul to $ 2.50 for adults in rush hours. The Blue Line uses 27 Bombardier Flexity Swift light rail vehicles (LRVs) manufactured by and 12 Siemens S70 LRVs. The system is designed to operate on 750 volts DC. Trains can reach speeds of 55 miles per hour (88.5 km/h), but the "general service speed" is about 40 mph (64.4 km/h) or slower (especially in

9660-490: The two terminals, but the light-rail line has replaced that service. No fare is required to ride between the two airport stations and trains run between these stations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Only seven of the original 17 stations was built to accommodate three car trains, but due to the need to increase the line's capacity, the remaining stations were retrofitted or extended to accommodate three-car trains in 2009. The extensions were paid for primarily with federal money but

9765-431: The updates will also bring safety enhancements and allow trains to switch tracks and turn around near the 30th Avenue Station, which will provide more opportunity to keep trains moving if a section of track is taken out of service. Ryan Heath, engineer for Metro Transit who is overseeing the project, said that "this is important for the Blue Line's next 40 years. We're looking out literally decades with an eye toward improving

9870-546: The upper level for use by Blue Line and Green Line light rail trains, and platforms next to the BNSF mainline tracks passing beneath the station to serve the Northstar Line commuter rail. The under construction Green Line extension, also known as the Southwest Corridor , will connect directly to the end of the Blue Line to share service with the station. Largely federal money but also with some local contributions

9975-432: The vehicle's middle truck or bogie . Electricity is collected by a pantograph mounted on the B section. The first "Type I" LRV was delivered on March 19, 2003. 14 of 15 delivered vehicles were operational for the opening weekend. The initial order was eventually bumped up to a full 24 vehicles, which were operational by early 2005. Three additional vehicles were ordered in the winter of 2006/2007, using leftover funds from

10080-552: The winter of 2022–2023. Construction of the Northern Lights Express Intercity passenger train from Downtown Minneapolis to Duluth may add a transfer station at Coon-Rapids Foley Boulevard to allow for transfers between Northstar and NLX trains to other Amtrak intercity routes. On October 2, 2023, service was increased to four round trips every weekday, including one reverse peak trip. Special event service returned, serving Twins and Vikings games. There

10185-401: The yard limit of Northtown, where it enters BNSF's Staples Subdivision . The double track line continues past the current Foley Boulevard park-and-ride bus station, which is planned to be a future Northstar station and turns northwest at Coon Creek Junction, where the old GN route to Duluth (now BNSF's Hinckley Subdivision ) splits off and heads straight north. The current Coon Rapids station

10290-469: Was a stop shared by GN and NP at Coon Creek Junction. There were at least three stations built in Anoka over the years, and two stations in Elk River and Big Lake, with both cities having one stop for each railroad. The double-track main line between Northtown Yard in Minneapolis and Coon Creek Junction in Coon Rapids is the busiest rail corridor in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In July 2009, before

10395-404: Was accompanied with two days of free rides on the train and area buses. The line was tested for months before opening, with regular service simulated for about a month before each phase went online. The Hiawatha Line opened exactly 50 years and one week after the last regular-service streetcars ran in the city. Light rail staff, security, and volunteers produced a largely hitch-free opening day for

10500-456: Was counting on federal funding for half of its construction costs. The estimated ridership for the full route was not high enough to qualify for that much needed federal funding. When the line was first proposed, then-Governor Jesse Ventura was an early advocate and convinced some people to come around to his point of view. Ventura's successor, Governor Tim Pawlenty , did not initially support it. He changed his mind after MnDOT determined that

10605-580: Was impaired. This often resulted in five-letter reporting marks, an option not otherwise allowed by the AAR. Companies owning trailers used in trailer-on-flatcar service are assigned marks ending with the letter "Z", and the National Motor Freight Traffic Association , which maintains the list of Standard Carrier Alpha Codes, assigns marks ending in "U" to owners of intermodal containers . The standard ISO 6346 covers identifiers for intermodal containers. When

10710-478: Was in progress) to bring the line directly into the Mall of America's transit hub. It was completed later than what was initially hoped for (a lot of literature points to 2003 as the opening year), but the mall connection was a significant contribution to the extra time requirements. These extensions are also why the line was initially reported to be 11.6 miles (18.7 km) long, but ended up being 12 miles (19 km) in length. The Target Field extension in 2009 added

10815-450: Was rolled back to June 26. Testing of the track and vehicles continued during the bus strike, as much of the work was performed by Bombardier employees rather than Metro Transit workers. Train operators who had already gone through the training process were given refresher courses when the strike ended. Regular service began on the first phase of the line on June 26, 2004, with the second phase opening later that year on December 4. Each opening

10920-532: Was secured for construction of the new American Boulevard Station in Bloomington between the Humphrey Terminal Station and Bloomington Central Station . This station was included in the line's original plans, but was postponed due to cost overruns. Because much of the necessary underground infrastructure for the station was installed when the line was constructed, the station was built with minimal service interruptions. Passengers who ride

11025-421: Was what the earlier streetcar system usually did to keep lines clear, though they also often featured small scrapers in front of the lead wheels). Each vehicle has a number of cameras on board, pointing both inward and outward, to monitor passenger activity and other areas of interest for security and safety. Train stations also have cameras. Video feeds and the position of each vehicle on the line are monitored in

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