Northstar Commuter Rail

The Northstar Corridor is an 82-mile transportation corridor that runs along Highway 10 from the St. Cloud/Rice area to downtown Minneapolis. It is one of the fastest growing corridors in Minnesota and the nation. It is projected that by 2025, more than 850,000 people will be living in the Northstar Corridor, an increase of about 200,000 people.

The Northstar Commuter Rail project is being developed to serve a 40-mile portion of that corridor from Big Lake to Minneapolis. Project planners hope to extend the line to the full corridor in the future.

The Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) along with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) evaluated the transportation options available to help accommodate the Northstar Corridor's rapid growth. After analyzing all possibilities, including highway expansion and a dedicated busway, they recommended Northstar Commuter Rail as the most immediate and cost-effective transportation alternative. In 2006, the Minnesota Legislature passed $60 million in bonding for the project, and Northstar entered the final design phase. Pending 2007 approval of federal matching funds, Northstar can be fully operational in 2009.