End of the line for Northstar Railroad

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  • RailAmerica
    Member
    • Jul 2022
    • 37
    • Minnesota, United States
    • English
    • General
    #1

    End of the line for Northstar Railroad

    One month ago today, the last train on the Northstar Railroad in Minnesota made its last run on January 4th 2026. In August of 2025, Metropolitan Council in Minnesota voted to suspend rail operations from Minneapolis Minnesota to Big Lake Minnesota. Persistent low ridership has been common since the pandemic and cost of riding has increased over the past few years. I vividly remember going with my family to my sisters softball tournaments in Big Lake and me and my dad would watch the Northstar trains fly down the tracks! Its definitely a shame to see this line go. As to where the locomotives will be heading? Rumor on the street is these locomotives will be soon leased out to other passenger rail service lines. RIP Northstar Railroad.
    Dom
    Tags: None
  • Orbita
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2020
    • 285
    • Somewhere on the NYC Water Level Route surrounded by corn
    • English, Limited French
    • MSOR
    #2
    Wow. Did not see this coming. Makes me wonder about the Music City commuter train. It's ridership was on par with Northstar.

    What I find interesting about this is who will acquire the rolling stock. I have my money on California's Metrolink, but I could be wrong.
    Kyle

    NYC - Road of the Future

    Comment

    • amtrak115
      Senior Member

      • Oct 2005
      • 283
      • Parker, TX
      • General
      #3
      Saw somewhere where the some of the Northstar equipment is become part of the Trinity Rail Express (TRE) here in Dallas

      Comment

      • eric
        Owner/Admin



        • Dec 2002
        • 9271
        • NS MP245.4 CNO&TP South District
        • English, SQL
        • General
        #4
        My understanding is that the Met Council has already agreed to leases on all the equipment.

        At least one trainset is going to the TRE to use during the World Cup, and others to Amtrak, allegedly to serve on the Hiawatha routes between Chicago and Milwaukee while the Horizon cars are out of service or eventually replaced by new equipment on order with Siemens.

        FWIW, Northstar was never a railroad unto itself. It was operated by the BNSF on behalf of the Met Council.

        And yes, I also have to wonder how long the Music City will remain with it's far-below-average ridership.
        If you like what you see here at Trainsim.com, be it the discussions and knowledge in the forums, items saved in our library or the ongoing development of our TSRE Fork, I hope you'll consider a paid membership to help support keeping the site operating.... Thanks!

        Comment

        • opskeeper
          Member
          • May 2010
          • 125
          • PDX Ore
          • English, Yooper
          • DTG
          #5
          Originally posted by amtrak115
          Saw somewhere where the some of the Northstar equipment is become part of the Trinity Rail Express (TRE) here in Dallas
          Geeze.... It's not bad enough Dallas had to take My beloved North Stars... Now you guys have to go and take Minnesota's Train....

          Comment

          • eric
            Owner/Admin



            • Dec 2002
            • 9271
            • NS MP245.4 CNO&TP South District
            • English, SQL
            • General
            #6
            Well.... they lost both over dismal attendance.... so....
            If you like what you see here at Trainsim.com, be it the discussions and knowledge in the forums, items saved in our library or the ongoing development of our TSRE Fork, I hope you'll consider a paid membership to help support keeping the site operating.... Thanks!

            Comment

            • opskeeper
              Member
              • May 2010
              • 125
              • PDX Ore
              • English, Yooper
              • DTG
              #7
              Originally posted by eric
              Well.... they lost both over dismal attendance.... so....
              Yes Minnesota does have it problems.... Almost like here in Oregon...
              👍 1

              Comment

              • Jdark34
                Senior Member
                • Feb 2011
                • 769
                • alexander city alabama
                • English
                • General
                #8
                what happen to northstar railroad eric?

                Comment

                • eric
                  Owner/Admin



                  • Dec 2002
                  • 9271
                  • NS MP245.4 CNO&TP South District
                  • English, SQL
                  • General
                  #9
                  The agency managing it decided to shut down the commuter service. It never recovered ridership following COVID and was too expensive to maintain.

                  Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

                  If you like what you see here at Trainsim.com, be it the discussions and knowledge in the forums, items saved in our library or the ongoing development of our TSRE Fork, I hope you'll consider a paid membership to help support keeping the site operating.... Thanks!
                  👍 1

                  Comment

                  • oper190
                    Senior Member



                    • May 2010
                    • 1218
                    • Port Charlotte, FL
                    • English
                    • MSOR
                    #10
                    Originally posted by eric
                    It never recovered ridership following COVID and was too expensive to maintain.
                    A little side bar - back in circa 1989-early 1990s - the Long Island Railroad gave up freight service because they were losing something like a million $$$ a year to keep running freight. Thing was at the same time, they kept their commuter service that was losing multi millions $$$ a year. Smart that! Big thing was the State of NY was dumping millions into the commuter service to keep it running and nothing for the freight service.
                    Geary "Mr. Hart" Gerhardt - Owner and CEO of Hart Rail Lines, Hart Commuter Railways, and Hart Rail Cars. Also the defunct Hart Electric Transit.
                    It's Your Train Sim World, sim as you please.

                    Comment

                    • Jdark34
                      Senior Member
                      • Feb 2011
                      • 769
                      • alexander city alabama
                      • English
                      • General
                      #11
                      i bet the train tickets were expensive right.

                      Comment

                      • oper190
                        Senior Member



                        • May 2010
                        • 1218
                        • Port Charlotte, FL
                        • English
                        • MSOR
                        #12
                        Originally posted by Jdark34
                        i bet the train tickets were expensive right.
                        If you are referring to the LIRR, yah last time I took train into NYC it was $20 from Amityville to Penn Station, and that was a well over ten years ago, and the rates have gone up since, so say about $1 a mile or more now, for a 1hour commute. Back then the trip into NYC cost about half what the ticket on Amtrak to Albany, NY cost from Penn.
                        Geary "Mr. Hart" Gerhardt - Owner and CEO of Hart Rail Lines, Hart Commuter Railways, and Hart Rail Cars. Also the defunct Hart Electric Transit.
                        It's Your Train Sim World, sim as you please.
                        👍 1

                        Comment

                        • eric
                          Owner/Admin



                          • Dec 2002
                          • 9271
                          • NS MP245.4 CNO&TP South District
                          • English, SQL
                          • General
                          #13
                          Yep, I remember riding the LIRR from Long Beach into Penn, it was something like $12 round trip in 1992.

                          Far cheaper than paying for tolls and parking, but that was still a chunk of change for a one hour trip. Today that's worth $25...

                          On Northstar, it was around $12 round trip from Big Lake, and likewise for my Metra commute of similar distance. Less so on a monthly pass.
                          If you like what you see here at Trainsim.com, be it the discussions and knowledge in the forums, items saved in our library or the ongoing development of our TSRE Fork, I hope you'll consider a paid membership to help support keeping the site operating.... Thanks!
                          👍 1

                          Comment

                          • frliss
                            Senior Member

                            • Mar 2011
                            • 752
                            • MP44.2 Worcester, MA
                            • General
                            #14
                            Back in 2019 I took the LIRR form Forest Hills in Queens to Penn Station, off peak, a 15 minute ride, $6.50. Today it's $7.75. It costs a fortune to travel in NYC.

                            Fred

                            Flashing Rear End Device
                            👍 1

                            Comment

                            • Jdark34
                              Senior Member
                              • Feb 2011
                              • 769
                              • alexander city alabama
                              • English
                              • General
                              #15
                              yikes. train tickets are getting expensive. i rode on amtrak from birmingham alabama to new orleans lousiana 6hrs. roundtrip i think the tickets were $30 to $45 a piece. we went with a group for a whole week
                              Last edited by Jdark34; 02-12-2026, 23:05.

                              Comment

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