ST. PAUL – Rep. Jim Knoblach, R-St. Cloud, said he will introduce a bill Tuesday that would expand Northstar Line commuter rail service to St. Cloud.
The Northstar currently runs from downtown Minneapolis to Big Lake. The proposal would extend the line 27 miles west to include St. Cloud.
Knoblach's bill requires the state to contact BNSF Railway to begin negotiations for the extension and sets conditions for the negotiation. It also anticipates the use of the existing Amtrak station in St. Cloud – but not a new station in Becker. The legislation also would require a minimum of two round trips to and from Minneapolis each day, with one round trip in from St. Cloud and a second reverse-commute round trip from Minneapolis – which Knoblach said could accommodate students and people working in St. Cloud but living along the line.
Knoblach said more trips could be negotiated, however. The bill anticipates that instead of having five round trips to Minneapolis from Big Lake on weekdays, and three on weekends, that service would be reduced by one round trip from Big Lake per day, though this would also be subject to negotiation.
Because the total train miles per week are almost exactly the same if you drop one round trip from Big Lake but add the St. Cloud service – 2,941 miles vs. 2,981 miles, but with fewer stops – Knoblach said he does not believe there should be any additional costs to operate the train.
“We already have the train engines, train cars, and a train station," Knoblach said. "The number of miles the train is operating over each week will be almost exactly the same, so I don’t expect there to be any additional costs to the state. In fact, the state might actually save money with this approach, since it would now be collecting fares in St. Cloud it does not now receive, and because I don’t think there will be much reduction in ridership by dropping to four round trips instead of five from Big Lake.”
Consequently, Knoblach said, the bill prohibits the state from spending any more to operate the line than is currently budgeted. However, the bill does allow local governments, such as the city of St. Cloud, to spend funds on the project if, for example, they want to develop the area around the existing Amtrak station, or if other costs arise.
“I am pleased to have bipartisan authorship from the Republican chairman Tim Kelly and Democrat co-lead Frank Hornstein on the Transportation Committee,” Knoblach said. “I also have had discussions with BNSF, and they do not oppose the bill. I hope this can finally lead to extending Northstar to St. Cloud.”
The companion bill is carried by Sen. John Pederson, R-St. Cloud.
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