|
Keep up-to-date on Northstar's news and service updates, view archived photos and videos of the Northstar Line
Service News & Updates
Read about service updates, news releases and scheduled meetings and events
Supporter Emails
Read recent emails and updates sent to Northstar Line supporters
Photos and Videos
RSS Feed
Learn more about subscribing to a RSS feed
Categories
Recent Posts
Archives
|
Home | Newsroom | News & Updates
News & Updates
ST. CLOUD, March 30, 2012 — Let Northstar Link and Northstar Commuter Rail take you out to the ball game.
Every Twins home game this season will have bus and rail service. Baseball fans will be able to take the Northstar Link bus from St. Cloud or Becker to Big Lake to catch the Northstar train, which takes them directly to Target Field in Minneapolis. At the scheduled departure time, or 30 minutes after the last out for special service trains, fans will be able to board the train to Big Lake and easily transfer to the Northstar Link bus to finish the trip back to Becker or St. Cloud.
In anticipation for a busy home opener on Monday, April 9, two buses are scheduled. Separate tickets are needed to ride the Link and the train. The Link ride costs $1.75 or less each way. The train ride prices vary by station. New this year, is the ability to buy round-trip tickets and Northstar Roundtrip Family Passes for home Twins games online at www.metrotransit.org/Northstar.
“The trip is even easier now with online train tickets for Twins games,” said Stearns County Commissioner Leigh Lenzmeier, chair of the Northstar Corridor Development Authority. “Print your round trip or family pass at home and be sure to keep it with you. You’ll be asked to show your ticket at Target Field.”
The Minnesota Twins Northstar Link service is called route 887T. The 887T schedule is available on Link buses and Northstar trains, online at www.CatchTheLink.com, or by calling 877.LINK.010. For information on train schedules and fare options, go to www.metrotransit.org/take-northstar-to-target-field.aspx.
About the Northstar Corridor
The Northstar Commuter Rail Line, operated by Metro Transit, provides service on the 40-mile segment of existing track along Highways 10 and 47 from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis.
Northstar trains offer commuter service during prime morning and evening week day rush hours, as well as regular weekend service and some special event service.
The Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) is a joint powers board of governmental entities representing counties, cities, townships and regional railroad authorities along the Northstar Corridor, which covers an 80-mile stretch from downtown Minneapolis to St. Cloud.
For more information about Northstar train service, go to www.metrotransit.org/northstar. For more information about the Northstar Link Commuter Bus, which is operated by St. Cloud Metro Bus, go to www.CatchTheLink.com, or call 877.LINK.010.
Construction started on Ramsey Northstar Station with a ceremonial groundbreaking event March 27 at the site near Ramsey City Hall, 7550 Sunwood Dr., NW, Ramsey.
Dignitaries who had waited ten years for this moment eagerly threw dirt with gold shovels. The PACT Charter High School Choir sang the national anthem and an African song, Mohlang, about a traveling train.
The construction schedule calls for completion and service startup around Nov. 16, 2012, the third anniversary of opening day for Minnesota’s first commuter rail line.
Timing on construction is creating significant cost savings, according to Anoka County Commissioner Matt Look, chair of the Anoka County Regional Rail Authority.
“Taxpayers are realizing significant savings because we’re able to move ahead in the current marketplace,” Commissioner Look said. “The winning construction bid came in nearly $600,000 under the estimated price.”
Sheehy Construction provided the most competitive offer out of eight companies. They submitted a bid of $6,583,300 to construct the station platform, the pedestrian bridge over the BNSF Railway tracks and the skyway connection to the municipal parking ramp.
Construction is being paid for with a combination of funds from the City of Ramsey, Anoka County, the Counties Transit Improvement Board, the State of Minnesota, and the Met Council.
Follow construction progress on Twitter @NorthstarRamsey.
Full Speed Ahead in The COR
The construction of the Ramsey Station brings new development opportunities to the City of Ramsey, according to Mayor Bob Ramsey. For example, the Residence at the COR, a 230 unit market rate apartment project, is getting under construction in April.
“The Residence at the COR will provide new housing opportunities in the city and build ridership for Northstar,” Mayor Ramsey said. “We are optimistic about the impact the Ramsey Station will have on our community by providing new transit services to our residents and opening the door for additional development.”
The new Ramsey Station is expected to average 200 rides per weekday, adding 51,000 weekday rides per year to the commuter rail system. Most of those rides will be people commuting to work on the train instead of in their cars on the congested highways in the Northstar Corridor, which runs between Minneapolis and St. Cloud.
The Ramsey Station will join six others on the line, Big Lake, Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids, Fridley, and Target Field in Minneapolis. Service is confined primarily to rush hours Monday-Friday, with limited trips on weekends and for special events, like all Twins home games. For more information on current train service, go to www.metrotransit.org/northstar or call 612-373-3333.
Until the train stops in Ramsey, bus service is available at the station during rush hours, Monday through Friday with the Ramsey Star Express, and midday on Fridays with the Northstar Link Commuter Bus. Information on buses, and Northstar Ramsey Station fares and schedules when available, can be found on Facebook/Northstar Corridor, and on the city Web site, www.cityoframsey.com.
ST. CLOUD, March 22, 2012 — People are hopping on board the Northstar Link Commuter Bus in record numbers to travel in the highway 10 corridor between St. Cloud and Minneapolis. January and February ridership numbers were up an average of 30 percent over 2011. Since the service began in November 2009, the numbers have shown a rapid rise. Total rides for 2011 were 77 percent higher than 2010 (from 26,263 to 46,437 rides).
Results from a recent Link customer survey show a variety of reasons for the bus’ growing success, according to Stearns County Commissioner Leigh Lenzmeier, chair of the Northstar Corridor Development Authority, the sponsor of the service.
“The top three reasons people use Northstar Link are cost savings, stress-free travel and convenience,” Commissioner Lenzmeier said. “A majority of customers ride more than one day a week, too, which is helping slow the growth of congestion on highways 10 and 94.”
The Northstar Link Commuter Bus meets most Northstar trains in Big Lake, seven days each week. The train schedule primarily serves commuters during rush hours, plus special events like Twins baseball games. The number of daily commuters on the train also is growing. Ridership among daily commuters was up seven percent in 2011.
Commuters, Students, Sports Fans Share Ride
The Northstar Link is a multi-purpose mode of transportation.
Again in 2012, all Twins home games will have Northstar Link and train service.
“It’s not uncommon to have Sunday buses full of students headed back to SCSU,” Commissioner Lenzmeier said. “Just $1.75 buys a comfortable, safe ride to campus from Big Lake; $1.25 from Becker.”
There’s one trip each week that isn’t tied to the train schedule. Northstar Link makes it possible to work a half day or make a short, leisurely trip on Fridays. The Fabulous Friday midday bus service starts in St. Cloud at 10:15 a.m. and ends in Minneapolis at 12:45 p.m., with stops in between at Becker and all Northstar train stations, except Fridley. The bus heads north at 1 p.m. and on the way to St. Cloud stops at any requested station, except Fridley. New in 2012 is a Fabulous Friday midday bus stop at Ramsey Station, currently under construction.
Information on schedules and fares, which range from $1.25 to $5.50 one way, can be found at www.CatchTheLink.com or by calling 877.LINK.010.
About the Northstar Corridor
The Northstar Commuter Rail Line, operated by Metro Transit, provides service on the 40-mile segment of existing track along Highways 10 and 47 from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis.
Northstar trains offer commuter service during prime morning and evening week day rush hours, as well as regular weekend service and some special event service.
The Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) is a joint powers board of governmental entities representing counties, cities, townships and regional railroad authorities along the Northstar Corridor, which covers an 80-mile stretch from downtown Minneapolis to St. Cloud.
For more information about Northstar train service, go to www.metrotransit.org/northstar. For more information about the Northstar Link Commuter Bus, which is operated by St. Cloud Metro Bus, go to www.CatchTheLink.com, or call 877.LINK.010.
Construction will start on Ramsey Northstar Station with a ceremonial groundbreaking event Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 3 to 4 p.m., at the site near Ramsey City Hall, 7550 Sunwood Dr., NW, Ramsey. Anoka County Regional Rail Authority Chair Matt Look and City of Ramsey Mayor Bob Ramsey will be joined by other local public officials and business people to throw the first shovels of dirt. The PACT Charter High School Choir will sing the national anthem and an African song, Mohlang, about a traveling train. A small reception will be held inside city hall.
The construction schedule calls for completion and service startup around Nov. 16, 2012, the third anniversary of opening day for Minnesota’s first commuter rail line.
Timing on construction is creating significant cost savings, according to Anoka County Commissioner Matt Look, chair of the Anoka County Regional Rail Authority.
“Taxpayers are realizing significant savings because we’re able to move ahead in the current marketplace,” Commissioner Look said. “The winning construction bid came in nearly $600,000 under the estimated price.”
Sheehy Construction provided the most competitive offer out of eight companies. They submitted a bid of $6,583,300 to construct the station platform, the pedestrian bridge over the BNSF Railway tracks and the skyway connection to the municipal parking ramp.
Construction is being paid for with a combination of funds from the City of Ramsey, Anoka County, the Counties Transit Improvement Board, and the State of Minnesota through the Met Council.
Full Speed Ahead in The COR
The construction of the Ramsey Station brings new development opportunities to the City of Ramsey, according to Mayor Bob Ramsey. For example, the Residence at the COR, a 230 unit market rate apartment project, is getting under construction in April.
“The Residence at the COR will provide new housing opportunities in the city and build ridership for Northstar,” Mayor Ramsey said. “We are optimistic about the impact the Ramsey Station will have on our community by providing new transit services to our residents and opening the door for additional development.”
Until the train stops in Ramsey, bus service is available at the station during rush hours and midday on Fridays. Information on buses, and Northstar Ramsey Station fares and schedules when available, can be found on Facebook/Northstar Corridor, and on the city Web site, www.ci.ramsey.mn.us.
ST. CLOUD — The Northstar Corridor Development Authority approved a 2012 budget Dec. 1 which includes a fare increase for Northstar Link Commuter Bus, effective Jan. 3. This is the first increase since the service started in November 2009. The increase will help offset operational costs.
The Northstar Link travels between St. Cloud and Big Lake Northstar Station, with a stop in Becker. The schedule meets most Northstar trains in Big Lake. On Fridays, a midday bus runs the full length of the corridor, from St. Cloud to downtown Minneapolis. Special buses serve sporting and other events. Rides are free on special buses and trains serving the Target Holidazzle parades on Dec. 10 and 17.
Ridership on the Link continues to grow. People boarded the bus 70,741 times, January through October of this year. That’s a 113% increase over the same period in 2010.
Stearns County Commissioner Leigh Lenzmeier, chair of the Northstar Corridor Development Authority, is pleased with the service’s growing popularity.
“Riders are discovering that the Link and the train provide stress-free and on-time travel,” said Commissioner Lenzmeier.
New in 2012, will be a Fabulous Friday midday bus stop in Ramsey. Details are being worked out for an early January start. Watch www.CatchTheLink.com for more information or call 1-877-546-5010. During 2012, a Northstar train station will be constructed in Ramsey with the goal of service starting by the end of the year.
|
Northstar Link Fares
Effective Jan. 3, 2012
|
|
Fare
|
Current
|
New
|
|
887 Cash
|
$1.50/$3.00
|
$1.75/$3.25
|
|
887T/887V Cash
|
$1.50
|
$1.75
|
|
887F Cash
|
$3.00/$5.00
|
$3.25/$5.50
|
|
Becker Cash
|
$1.00
|
$1.25
|
|
10-Ride Pass
|
$15.00/$25.00
|
$16.00/$27.00
|
|
31-Day Pass
|
$90.00
|
$95.00
|
About the Northstar Corridor
The Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) is a joint powers board of governmental entities representing counties, cities, townships and regional railroad authorities along the Northstar Corridor, which covers an 80-mile stretch from downtown Minneapolis to St. Cloud.
The Northstar Commuter Rail Line, operated by Metro Transit, provides service on the 40-mile segment of existing track along Highways 10 and 47 from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis. Northstar trains offer commuter service during prime morning and evening week day rush hours, as well as regular weekend service and some special event service.
For more information about Northstar train service, go to www.metrotransit.org/northstar. For more information about the Northstar Link Commuter Bus, which is operated by St. Cloud Metro Bus, go to www.CatchTheLink.com, or call 877.LINK.010.
The Northstar Corridor Development Authority meets Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, 4 p.m., at the Anoka County Government Center, 2100 3rd Ave., Anoka, MN.
Nov. 16, 2011--Enjoy a free ride on Northstar to the Target Holidazzle Parade in downtown Minneapolis Dec. 10 and 17.
A special, free Northstar Link Holidazzle bus on both Saturdays starts at the downtown St. Cloud Transit Center at 1:45 p.m., with stops at St. Cloud State University, the Northstar Link park and ride lot, and Becker before arriving at Northstar Big Lake Station at 2:45 p.m.
Northstar trains are free after 3 p.m. both days. Be on board when the train pulls out at 3:06 p.m. at Big Lake Station. You’ll arrive in downtown Minneapolis at Target Field Station at 3:55 p.m.
Once Northstar customers reach downtown Minneapolis, getting to Nicollet Mall is an easy—and free—ride on Hiawatha light rail, which connects at Target Field Station. All Metro Transit buses and light rail will be free from 4-8 p.m. on Dec. 10 and 17 as well.
You’ll have time to enjoy the downtown attractions before the parade starts at 6:30 p.m. on Nicollet Mall. Now in its 20th season, the parade features colorful displays, lights, costumes, music and dancing to celebrate the holidays. Get more information about the parade at www.holidazzle.com.
The special event Northstar train leaves Target Field Station at 8 p.m. The Northstar Link bus will meet the train in Big Lake at 8:50 p.m., arriving in Becker at 9:10 p.m., and St. Cloud stops starting at 9:35 p.m.
Complete schedule details are available at www.CatchTheLink.com for the bus, and www.metrotransit.org/northstar for the train.
“This is an opportunity even Scrooge would approve of,” says Stearns County Commissioner Leigh Lenzmeier, chair of the Northstar Corridor Development Authority.
“The Holidazzle Parade is a great tradition for many of us. But if it’s not your thing, use the free ride for another purpose,” said Commissioner Lenzmeier. “Scrooge would approve of saving up to $ 16.00 or more per person.”
Commissioner Lenzmeier predicts the free ride will entice newcomers to try the train.
“Try it once and maybe you’ll learn that transit is stress free, on time and reliable—not a bad present for yourself.”
August 26-- The Northstar commuter rail line and Northstar Link Commuter Bus will provide service for all Vikings regular and pre-season games at Mall of America Field in the Metrodome this season. Special trains will be added on game days to supplement the regular Northstar schedule when needed.
Fans can save with a Northstar Roundtrip Family Pass which is good for two adults and up to three kids ages 6-17 for $20 or less depending on which station is used for boarding. Fans arriving at Target Field via Northstar can transfer—at no charge—to the Hiawatha light rail line or buses for the last part of their trip to Mall of America Field.
Northstar Link bus service from St. Cloud or Becker is timed to connect with Northstar trains at Big Lake station. At either the scheduled departure times, or one hour after the end of the game, fans will be able to board the train to Big Lake and easily transfer to the connecting Northstar Link bus to complete the return trip to Becker or St. Cloud. Bus rides cost between $1 and $1.50 one way and are paid for separately from the train ride.
Continue reading "Aug. 26--Rail and bus service scheduled for all Vikings games" >>
Northstar commuter rail service, sidelined since Saturday morning, resumed this afternoon, carrying home commuters who took replacement buses downtown this morning. Fridley Station has reopened as well.
Regularly scheduled weekday Northstar service, both rail and Link bus, is expected to resume tomorrow, Wednesday, July 20.
Northstar Link Commuter Bus and Northstar Rail will have special service for Wednesday’s 12:10 p.m. Twins game.
Any further updates will be available at metrotransit.org or by calling 612-373-3333.
Northstar Link Commuter Bus will offer the regular 887 schedule Tuesday, July 19. However, there will not be a special Twins bus because Northstar rail service will not be available.
Metro Transit officials announced Monday night that Northstar rail service will not resume for morning commuters on Tuesday, July 19, as announced earlier in the day. Instead, buses will replace trains. The change is the result of unforeseen delays in work by BNSF Railway to repair track damaged by a freight derailment over the weekend.
Replacement bus service will carry customers from four of five Northstar suburban stations to Target Field. Buses will leave Big Lake, Elk River, Anoka and Coon Rapids/Riverdale stations following regular Northstar scheduled times. As previously announced, Fridley Station remains closed for all morning and afternoon commuter trips Tuesday.
Customers may experience delayed arrivals at Target Field Station due to traffic conditions.
Depending on the pace of BNSF work, either trains or buses will carry customers home from downtown Tuesday afternoon.
Ongoing updates will be available at metrotransit.org or by calling 612-373-3333.
|
