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Anoka official says shutdown of Northstar Commuter Rail will hurt residents, growth

By
Nick Lunemann
Nick Lunemann
Multi-Skilled Journalist
Nick Lunemann is a multi-skilled journalist for WCCO-TV.
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Nick Lunemann

/ CBS Minnesota

The Northstar Commuter Rail between Minneapolis and Big Lake, Minnesota, is set to end service in early 2026, a decision that's drawing sharp criticism from city leaders in Anoka.

Mayor Erik Skogquist says the closure will hurt residents and local redevelopment efforts tied to the station.

"There are a fair amount of people that like to utilize that service here, especially for special events," Skogquist said. "To see that disappear and to go away while the Met Council's pushing other services of light rail is really a head scratcher to me."

The Metropolitan Council voted this summer to suspend rail operations, citing low ridership and high costs. According to the group, Northstar's average subsidy reached about $116 per ride in 2023 — one of the highest in the nation.

Anoka and neighboring cities had invested heavily in the rail corridor, buying and clearing industrial properties near the tracks to make way for new housing and mixed-use development.

"We spent a lot of money clearing those sites and getting redevelopment," Skogquist said. "That's really a big draw for one of our last large redevelopment areas in the city."

The mayor says ridership declined after COVID-19 and never recovered, partly because service frequency was cut and never restored. He blames what he calls poor management and inconsistent commitment from regional leaders.

"If people want to use it, it needs to be reliable and have some options, and those just never really came back," he said.

Skogquist argues it's unfair that the council continues to fund new light rail projects elsewhere while removing service from the northwest metro.

"I don't see how you can disinvest from one corridor while putting in billions of dollars in another," he said. "It's just not equitable."

Anoka officials say they still haven't received clear answers about what will happen to the station, parking ramp and nearby infrastructure, and who will pay for changes once the trains stop running.

The final Northstar train is expected to roll after the Minnesota Vikings' game against the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 4, 2026.

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