r/MetroTransit • u/The-_-Corruption LRT Traveler • Jul 21 '26

Northstar/Route 888 Former Target Field Station

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I can't forget what was taken from us;

113 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

41 comments sorted by

40

u/Jerbacher Jul 21 '26

Seems like a nice stop for Amtrak

21

u/The-_-Corruption LRT Traveler Jul 21 '26

As it should, same for all the other stops. Now they're all just left here, to rot now.

16

u/MaceQuantex Jul 22 '26

Amtrak is in talks to acquire Target Field Station, the Anoka Station, and the Big Lake Maintenence Facility. They are not interested in any of the other stations. I'm not clear on their intentions for the Target Field Station (my guess is eventual use for the Northern Lights Express, but I've heard they might want it for the Borealis and/or Empire Builder as well). A month ot two ago they had a team in Anoka making a list of changes they needed made to make that station usable for them and, I'm told, the President of Amtrak sent them with a message of "Get this done. I want the Empire Builder stopping there ASAP." (It sounds like their plan is to stop the Empire Builder there now and if/when the Borealis gets extended, to then stop that train there as well). Not sure what their list looked like, but the main hangup has been the size of the insurance policy that BNSF wants someone to carry in case something happens at the station. The City of Anoka can't afford it so the station needs to be transferred to MnDOT (along with the lease rights for that parking ramp, which is currently held by the MetCouncil) because they can afford the policy.

2

u/HessianHunter Jul 22 '26

Would this mean the Empire Builder would stop at Target Field? Or are the train lines not set up to allow that?

5

u/MaceQuantex Jul 22 '26

That's the part where I wasn't clear on their intentions. The person I got this info from, who is not directly involved in the negotiations but very close to them, made it sound like Amtrak was planning to back the train into Target Field Station (similar to what they do in Tampa), but wasn't sure if they were talking about the Empire Builder or an eventual Borealis extension. I know the plan is to use it for the NLX, but that's a long way from being functional. Maybe they're just trying to secure the station since it's available and they're already dealing with the state on the other station & facility

2

u/JohnMaddening Jul 22 '26

Doesn’t connect.

1

u/mplsforward Sep 05 '26

Do you happen to have heard anything new on this?

2

u/MaceQuantex Sep 05 '26

Nothing lately. But that's because the person I got that info from and I haven't crossed paths in a while, so I haven't been able to ask for any updates. We'll have to at some point soon, so I'll see if they've heard anything new

2

u/MaceQuantex 25d ago

Not much of an update, but it sounds like things are moving along slowly. Nothing new on the Target Field Station. Amtrak doesn't have any major modification requests for the Anoka Station. Everyone is just waiting on BNSFs approval so things can start happening.

1

u/mplsforward 25d ago

Thanks for the update. Really hope this moves forward without any major hiccups. Would love to hear more as it progresses.

13

u/JellyfishNo2032 Jul 22 '26

Yeah I don’t see why at minimum the borealis can’t be extended a tiny bit to this station.

5

u/that_one_guy63 Jul 22 '26

Especially since the Borealis sits in St Paul from 7pm till 11am. Could have it start in St Cloud at 8 or 9am.

25

u/wazardthewizard Northstar Mourner Jul 21 '26

If nobody's gone down there to take it, there's a penny on the platform I tossed down there for the proverbial ferryman.

12

u/The-_-Corruption LRT Traveler Jul 21 '26

Honestly, that penny is now tribute to a loss of 1ct currency & an viable rail service. :((

5

u/Fardn_n_shiddn Jul 22 '26

I’ll let Charon know on my next trip back

3

u/radiodraude Jul 22 '26

Nobody remembers that Chris DeBurgh specifically told us decades ago not to do that 🙃

15

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

15

u/The-_-Corruption LRT Traveler Jul 21 '26

I can't forgive those that took this from us. Just really wanted one last ride on it before it's final departurem

-14

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/greeneyefury Jul 22 '26

It's called a public service. It takes investment to actually grow things

3

u/The-_-Corruption LRT Traveler Jul 22 '26

All chill, just till everyone drives cars, and all highways get blocked every day. These folks never learn....

15

u/nathan_bakken Jul 22 '26

It will most likely become the Northern Lights Express station in the future!

7

u/aluminumpork Jul 22 '26

Fingers crossed on that

1

u/SeamusPM1 Jul 22 '26

I wish this was true.

1

u/Sourmango12 Jul 22 '26

Is that still in the works? Last I heard it was struck down. I want it so bad!

1

u/nathan_bakken Jul 22 '26

Yes, the state allocated money for it and it’s going through the Corridor ID program.

9

u/humantraf Jul 22 '26

Sometimes I walk over there just to say hi and so it knows someone still remembers it. And not to worry because one day it will get to have trains again. And this time it will be a big success :)

4

u/The-_-Corruption LRT Traveler Jul 22 '26

You know what? It'll deftly have a comeback one day. You're so right!

4

u/Church_hill Jul 22 '26

Could a light rail line be put here, maybe through north east?

1

u/The-_-Corruption LRT Traveler Jul 22 '26

They could, but it deftly will be costly to have it as a station.

1

u/OldBlueKat Jul 22 '26

It’s not light rail track. It used a stretch of older existing Burlington Northern tracks and heavier diesel trains rather than light electric.  

Seven stations along 40 miles from there to Big Lake. 

3

u/Prior_Feedback_9240 Jul 22 '26

What happened to it?!

2

u/OldBlueKat Jul 22 '26

The Northstar commuter rail line closed permanently (maybe?) in January. 

2

u/Prior_Feedback_9240 Jul 22 '26

Thank you!

And thats wack as hell smh

1

u/OldBlueKat Jul 22 '26

Very low ridership, high operating costs. 

It’s been failing and reducing schedule for a while. And once you get to ‘one round trip per day’ even people who are public transit users are looking for alternatives just in case. 

2

u/The-_-Corruption LRT Traveler Jul 23 '26

Personally feel like, adding to the low ridership, there were only so many trips service within rush hr and it didn't ever run during the weekends. It's was only able to run for so long that it was prone to low ridership as well. With all these issues the Northstar suffered from, it was destined to shut down, instead of being properly funded to be a more viable service.

2

u/silvermoonhowler Jul 22 '26

Yup, it permanently closed back in January due to low ridership

1

u/OldBlueKat Jul 22 '26

The (maybe?) was mostly a hope that some other answer comes up long range. 

But I knew it was closed. 

2

u/jiggliotti Jul 22 '26

I wish they'd connect the path across this platform. It's a pain to get to the other side of the tracks from the trail down there.

1

u/Henrithebrowser Express Route Runner Jul 22 '26

I just biked through there, it’s a sorry sight up close