Northstar Commuter Rail to start service by year's end

When politicians in hard hats, holding golden shovels, showed up in his Fridley neighborhood, Ganga Ramnarine brought his four-year-old daughter Devika to witness history.

"Oh, we're really excited," he said. Tuesday's ceremonial ground-breaking was for the Fridley Station, the sixth and final station to be built for phase one of the Northstar Commuter Rail.

Five locomotives have already been delivered, with 18 rail cars due next month.

Testing and trial runs will start in May, with the Northstar rail due to start regular service this coming November.

Anoka County Commissioner Dan Erhart was there from the beginning.

"We never lost sight of that goal and it took now 13 years on the Northstar project and we are nearing completion."

The 40 mile route starts in Big Lake with other stations located in Elk River, Anoka and Coon Rapids.

Service will end at the Ballpark Station with trains pulling up within feet of the new Twins stadium, offering easy connections to the Hiawatha light rail.

Meaning a passenger boarding the train in Big Lake could ride the rails all the way to MSP International Airport.

The projected price of a Northstar ticket to downtown ranges from $8.00 at Big Lake to $3.25 at Fridley.

The 40 mile ride from Big Lake is expected to take about 45 minutes, with trains topping out at 79 miles per hour, riding on existing freight rails.

"I've lived in places where they have passenger trains," says Ramnarine, "and I find it very exciting that we're having the same thing here in Fridley."

Ramnarine says his wife, with her downtown job, will likely be among the more than 4000 daily riders projected in the Northstar's first year of operation.

Citizens will have an opportunity to weigh in on those proposed fares for the Northstar.

Three hearings are scheduled during the month of April:

?Wednesday, April 8, Noon - 1 p.m. Minneapolis Central Library Doty Room 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

?Wednesday, April 8, 7 - 8 p.m. Sherburne County Government Center Board Room 13880 Highway 10 (13880 Business Center Drive), Elk River

?Tuesday, April 14, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Anoka County Government Center Board Room (7th floor) 2100 3rd Avenue, Anoka

For more information on Northstar Commuter Rail

By Boyd Huppert, KARE 11 News   Read Boyd's Blog

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