Northstar commuter rail service to end after Vikings season

Originally posted on Bring Me The News | By Adam Uren | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 2:47 PM ET

The Northstar commuter rail service between Big Lake and Minneapolis is expected to end following the culmination of the Minnesota Vikings' regular season in early January.

The Metropolitan Council has confirmed that its plan is to transition the rail service to a bus service from Jan. 5, 2026.

The final day of commuter service will be Friday, Jan. 2, while special trains are expected to run after the final Vikings' regular season game, which will either happen on Jan. 3 or 4.

However, the bus lines replacing the commuter rail will not start and end in Big Lake, nor will they stop in Elk River. The current plan is for services between Minneapolis and Ramsey, and Minneapolis and Anoka.

The Met Council revealed in February that it was exploring the end of the Northstar rail service, coming as Republicans in the Legislature were set to propose a bill requiring the council to submit a plan to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to discontinue NorthStar operations within 90 days.

The Northstar Line began operations in 2009 and is operated by Metro Transit and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) on BNSF tracks and right-of-way.

Originally, the plan was for the line to connect the Twin Cities with St. Cloud, but the extension to St. Cloud was ultimately never constructed, and ridership dramatically tailed off following the onset of COVID-19 and the subsequent shift to remote working.

This article first appeared on Bring Me The News and was syndicated with permission.

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