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Union Editor

People crowded at the platform in Anoka on Saturday afternoon, excitedly waiting for their chance to hop on the train.

Approximately 700 were on board for the inaugural public ride of the Northstar Commuter Rail, which went into regular commission on Monday morning.

Celebrations were held in Big Lake, Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids and Fridley – the five station locations along the 40 mile corridor of the Northstar, which runs from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis.

They welcomed the train just before 2 p.m. by waiving bight yellow Northstar hankies, part of the keepsake package riders received with their boarding passes.

Hundreds crowded on the platform Saturday afternoon at the Anoka station, located at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Pierce Street, for their chance to ride the train.

The bulk of the tickets were given away through a Northstar Commuter Rail lottery, in advance of the event.

People lined up to snag 100 more that were handed out on a first come, first served bases.

The celebration included music by CODA and a nod to the city’s history with a visit from a Red Wing-based Civil War re-enactment group.

At 2:15 p.m. the train departed for downtown Minneapolis, scheduled to return at 4:15 p.m.

At the formal ceremony on Saturday, Anoka Mayor Phil Rice told the crowds that often when a historic event comes along, you don’t realize it until it is upon you.

But with the Northstar, the community had the chance to come together and mark a monumental moment in transportation history.

“We recognize now this is a huge event, a huge day in the history of Anoka,” said Rice.

The mayor looked back at Anoka’s history on the transportation corridor that once was based on the Mississippi and Rum rivers. At the same time he called commuter rail an opportunity for the future.

“This is another reason this city will thrive,” Rice said.

He also shared the sentiments of former Anoka City Councilmember John Weaver, who passed away in 2004.

“This isn’t a choice for us – we have to do this,” Rice said, recalling the words of Weaver in a meeting long before the current mayor held elected office in the city.

There were plenty of compliments for Anoka County Commissioner Dan Erhart, who has been the  backbone of the push for Northstar for more than a decade. He also is the chairperson of the Northstar Corridor Development Authority.

“There were times when the Northstar future didn’t look as bright as we had hoped,” said Erhart on the battle to secure funding and support for the project. “We never lost site of the goal and never lost sight of the vision.”

Erhart said commuter rail will make cities along the line, “better communities to live work and play, go to school and retire in.”

Saturday’s celebration included a visit from Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

“You can see what happens when people cross party lines to get things done,” Klobuchar told the crowd, commending the $317 million project for being done on time, and $10 million under budget.

Klobuchar also said it will be important to extend the Northstar out to St. Cloud, extending the availability of the economic commuting option.

Rep. Jim Abeler has also been a part of the Northstar push for 11 of the past 13 years.

He said he and other legislators have worked hard on this kind of a project, “because of the future we see in our kids.”

“Keep digging in with your oar,” Abeler told the crowd. “It makes a difference.”

According to Natalie Haas Steffen of the Metropolitan Council, Metro Transit, an operating division of the council, projects it will give 91 million rides in 2010, up from nearly 82 million this year. This is the highest ridership in 27 years.

She said an estimated 870,000 people will ride the Northstar in the coming year.

Steffen, a former Anoka County commissioner, likened local officials to pit bulls, who clamped on to the project and refused to let go.

Ticket prices range from $3.25 to $7 for a one-way fare.

According to Metro Transit, 1,200 commuters rode the Northstar into downtown Minneapolis on Monday morning.

Starting Monday, weekday trains will leave Anoka at 5:19 a.m., 6:08 a.m., 6:38 a.m., 7:08 a.m., 7:38 a.m. and 5:22 p.m. The trip into downtown is scheduled to take 32 minutes. Weekday trains will leave Minneapolis at 6:05 a.m., 3:50 p.m., 4:20 p.m., 4:50 p.m., 5:20 p.m. and 6:10 p.m.

There is a limited schedule available on Saturday and Sunday. Weekday fares are $4 for a one-way trip between Anoka and Minneapolis; $3 on weekends for adults or $1 for seniors, youth or those with disabilities.

Pete Turok, president of the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce, emceed Saturday’s event. In close, he encouraged the community to take part in making Northstar a lasting success.

“Now it’s your turn,” he said. “Get on the train.”

Mandy Moran Froemming is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it