| Schedules set for commuters ready to ride the rail |
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| Wednesday, 21 October 2009 | |
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Managing editor Schedules have been set and final preparations are being made for the launching of Northstar Commuter Rail service to and from Big Lake and Minneapolis through Anoka County Monday, Nov. 16. Before then, however, there will be an inaugural run on the line Friday, Nov. 13 for more than 500 invited guests, plus grand opening ceremonies at the six stations on the line - Big Lake, Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids, Fridley and downtown Minneapolis - Saturday, Nov. 14. As part of the Nov. 14 opening ceremonies, free train rides will be offered to a limited number of people at the Anoka, Coon Rapids, Fridley, Big Lake and Elk River stations. Those people have been chosen by random drawing from those that signed up, some 4,500, according to Tim Yantos, executive director of both the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) and the Anoka County Regional Rail Authority. With the schedules now in place, Northstar trains are making simulated runs up and down the line during the scheduled times, including stopping at stations, to work out any kinks and to dovetail with Burlington-Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) freight service, Yantos said. Under the weekday schedule, the first train in the morning leaves Big Lake at 5 a.m. and arrives in Minneapolis at 5:51 a.m., a 51-minute journey. Stops en route include 5:19 a.m. at Anoka and 5:23 a.m. at Coon Rapids-Riverdale. Other morning rush hour trains will leave Big Lake at 5:49 a.m., 6:19 a.m., 6:49 a.m. and 7:19 a.m. with arrival in Minneapolis at 6:40 a.m., 7:10 a.m., 7:40 a.m. and 8:10 a.m., respectively. There will also be one morning rush hour trip from Minneapolis to Big Lake, leaving at 6:05 a.m. and arriving at 6:56 a.m. There will also be six trains running during the late afternoon-early evening rush hour. Trains will leave downtown Minneapolis at 3:50 p.m., 4:20 p.m., 4:50 p.m., 5:20 p.m. and 6:10 p.m. for the 51-minute trip to Big Lake arriving at 4:41 p.m., 5:11 p.m., 5:41 p.m., 6:11 p.m. and 7:01 p.m., with one reverse trip departing Big Lake at 5:03 p.m. and getting into Minneapolis at 5:54 p.m. Three trains each way are scheduled to operate on Saturdays and Sundays. Saturday departures from Big Lake will be at 12:34 p.m., 2:49 p.m. and 5:04 p.m. with trains leaving Minneapolis at 1:40 p.m., 3:55 p.m. and 10 p.m. On Sundays, trains will leave Big Lake at 10:29 a.m., 12:54 p.m. and 3:24 p.m. and depart Minneapolis at 11:45 a.m., 2:05 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. Special events service will also be scheduled, according to Yantos. With the bus link from St. Cloud to Big Lake and Hiawatha Light Rail trains running from the downtown Minneapolis station to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America, there will be an 82-mile service, he said. “We are not only celebrating the opening of Northstar, but a regional system coming together,” Yantos said. And the project has come in $10 million under its $317 million budget, according to Yantos. Discussions are now taking place on how the remaining $10 million might be spent, Yantos said. “There are a number of things being looked at, but one is the purchase of a spare locomotive,” Yantos said. All the train stations are now complete, except for Fridley, which got a late start because it was not part of the original federally-approved plan. “We hope to have the Fridley station completed by Nov. 1,” Yantos said. There will be machines at each station for passengers to buy tickets either with cash or credit cards, while frequent riders are encouraged to get a Go-To-Card. Weekday one-way ticket prices for all riders, except those with disabilities, to Minneapolis are $7 from Big Lake, $5.50 from Elk River, $4 each from Anoka and Coon Rapids and $3.25 from Fridley with a $3.25 charge from station- to-station. Weekend and holiday fares for a one-way trip are $5.25 from Big Lake, $4 from Elk River, $3 from both Anoka and Coon Rapids and $2.50 from Fridley with a $2.50 station-to-station fare. There are also special weekend/holiday rates for seniors (age 65 and over), youth (ages six to 12) and Medicare card holders - $1.75 from Big Lake, $1.25 from Elk River, $1 from Anoka and Coon Rapids and 75 cents from Fridley and station-to-station. Children ages five and under ride free (limit three) when accompanied by a paid fare. The inaugural run Friday, Nov. 13 is by invitation only from Big Lake to Minneapolis with stops in Anoka and Fridley for officials from federal, state, region, county and local units of government plus individuals and business supporters of the Northstar project, according to Yantos. But the station events Saturday, Nov. 14 are for the general public and each will have a different theme as well as the free train rides for those whose names were drawn, Yantos said. At the Riverdale station in Coon Rapids, grand opening ceremonies will begin at 1 p.m. with a 2 p.m. program. The theme will be Coon Rapids’ 50th anniversary as a city. Civil War-era history will be the focus of the Anoka station celebration, starting at 11:30 a.m. with a program at 12:30 p.m. Featured will be Civil War re-enactors. For more information on Northstar schedules and fares go to www.metrotransit.org . Peter Bodley is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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