Northstar Commuter Rail

METRO Northstar Line – Minneapolis – Big Lake
Launched	November 16, 2009
Number of Stops	7
Service Area	Interstate 94/US-10 Corridor
Termini	Big Lake Station Target Field Station
Operators	BNSF Railway (locomotives) Metropolitan Council (train staff)
Internal-use Route Number	888
Reporting Marks	MNRX
Route Statistics
Annual Trips	50,433 (2021)
Avg. Pass./hour	56.8 (2021)
Annual Revenue	$147,588.18 (2021)

Northstar Commuter Rail is a commuter train service operating between Big Lake and downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Service began November 16, 2009.

Route Stops

Northstar serves 7 stations along its 40-mile corridor, stopping in the cities of Anoka, Coon Rapids, Elk River, Fridley, and Ramsey between Minneapolis (Target Field) and Big Lake, Minnesota.

Stations

• Big Lake Station
• Elk River Station
• Ramsey Station
• Anoka Station
• Coon Rapids-Riverdale Station
• Fridley Station
• Target Field Station

Vehicle Maintenance

Equipment maintenance & storage is at the Big Lake Operations & Maintenance Facility.

Mechanics and train staff, with the exception of engineers, are employed by the Metropolitan Council and work under ATU Local 1005.

• Address: 19699 County Rd 43, Big Lake, MN

Fleet Roster

Locomotives

Fleet Number	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Notes
501-505		2008	MPI	MP36PH-3C	EMD 16-645F3B-T2
512		2009	MPI	MP36PH-3C	EMD 16-645F3B-T2	Ex-UTA FrontRunner 12 Leased from UTA starting in November 2009 Purchased outright in June 2010

Railcars

Fleet Number	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Seats	Notes
601-606		2009	Bombardier	BiLevel Cab cars
701-712		2009	Bombardier	BiLevel Coaches

References

v·d·e NORTHSTAR COMMUTER RAIL Fleet Locomotives 501-505 - 512 Coaches 601-606 - 701-712 Facilities Maintenance Big Lake Operations & Maintenance Facility Stations Anoka - Big Lake - Coon Rapids-Riverdale - Elk River - Fridley - Ramsey - Target Field Additional Services Northstar Link 887 Twin Cities Metropolitan Area Agencies