Northern Lights Express

[thespeedmccool]

Once NLX is built, we're just a couple infill stations away from a Cambridge commuter rail service.

Add stations at Andover, Bethel, and Isanti, and that's a commuter rail.

Somehow though, I don't think Anoka County would buy in.

[Tiller]

Regional Rail >>> Commuter Rail

[SurlyLHT]

Once NLX is built, we're just a couple infill stations away from a Cambridge commuter rail service.

Add stations at Andover, Bethel, and Isanti, and that's a commuter rail.

Somehow though, I don't think Anoka County would buy in.

I grew up here near the tracks, this is a bad idea. They tried an express bus, but it hasn't gone beyond Blaine or much beyond it in awhile. If they can get a bus going with demand I could see it working. But, given the work-from-home trends and how much the nearby Northstar is struggling I don't see this working at all and being a waste of money.

[thespeedmccool]

Regional Rail >>> Commuter Rail

I appreciate this view, but personally I find that an all-day commuter rail system essentially is a small regional rail system.

I've spent a lot of time in the Boston area, and the MBTA commuter rail is so comprehensive and regular that it basically acts as a small regional rail system. Their commuter rails run (I think) at least hourly all day in both directions, so getting anywhere in the region is pretty slick and easy.

[thespeedmccool]

I grew up here near the tracks, this is a bad idea. They tried an express bus, but it hasn't gone beyond Blaine or much beyond it in awhile. If they can get a bus going with demand I could see it working. But, given the work-from-home trends and how much the nearby Northstar is struggling I don't see this working at all and being a waste of money.

And yeah, I don't think a Cambridge commuter rail is realistic, but one can dream.

[Trademark]

Once NLX is built, we're just a couple infill stations away from a Cambridge commuter rail service.

Add stations at Andover, Bethel, and Isanti, and that's a commuter rail.

Somehow though, I don't think Anoka County would buy in.

I would scrap the bethel station. But Andover and Isanti would be good infill stations. It could be done super cheap. Just throw up some platforms and have the NLX stop on one southbound trip in the morning and one northbound trip in the evening to start off. I don't think there would be demand for more than just the bare bones commuter service here. But using one of the already existing runs of the NLX wouldn't water down the service too much or cost barely anything more while also providing an option for commuters. And if the service has any type of demand then it can be expanded.

[DanPatchToget]

Considering how low the ridership is at the existing Northstar stations wouldn’t it make sense for NLX to just use Fridley Station instead of building a whole new station at Foley Boulevard? I know Foley already has a park & ride ramp but it doesn’t have platforms, and I believe the plan for NLX is to have an additional surface lot across the street from the parking ramp. Even before the pandemic the parking lots at Fridley Station were underutilized.

[Trademark]

All planning on NLX has been prohibited. It's the Dan Patch Line all over again. I hate it here. Side-note one of my biggest pet peeves is when people say trains are 19th century technology so we shouldn't implement them. A light bulb is also 19th century technology, so I guess we should ban all of them too.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/05/0 ... -to-duluth

[Nick]

Well, we did ban the ones with the 19th century design.

[Bakken2016]

Well these amendments probably won't make it through, cause the house bill would have to have it as well, and I don't see that happening.

Also, so glad Osmek is retiring, he is an overgrown man child who has no place in the MN Senate.

[thespeedmccool]

Yeah, I don't think the NLX ban will go through, nor will the ban on MSAS money for road diets.

But this does serve as a good reminder as to why we can't let Republicans take the legislature this November.

[Korh]

Really old news but there was a presentation about the NLX back in May by the High Speed Rail Alliance
https://youtu.be/s-rwy8FLBCs

Does anyone know if the house bill that prohibited planning made any progress from around the same time? Because from what I gather from the video planning was already done so the bill might of been nothing but hot air

[thespeedmccool]

Really old news but there was a presentation about the NLX back in May by the High Speed Rail Alliance
https://youtu.be/s-rwy8FLBCs

Does anyone know if the house bill that prohibited planning made any progress from around the same time? Because from what I gather from the video planning was already done so the bill might of been nothing but hot air

Nothing got done this year in St. Paul after Republicans walked away. A provision like that would've been in the transportation omnibus that didn't pass.

Even still, it wouldn't have gotten into the house transportation omnibus because the DFL supports NLX. The GOP is the party which has, every year, floated the idea of killing any and all rail planning or projects.

[StandishGuy]

Any thoughts about whether NLX will get funded this year at the Legislature now that the DFL is in full control and there is Infrastructure Bill money/ a huge surplus? Considering the project already has a FONZI (?), construction could begin quickly if funded by MN with Federal funds following. This is my favorite transportation project in the pipeline since it connects two walkable, urban places with real destinations in between.

By the way my buddy's kid attends U of MN Duluth and would be a perfect candidate to take the NLX. He doesn't drive and has been stuck in Duluth due to the current blizzard. All the inter-city buses are sold out until Saturday, so my buddy is going to have to drive up there and back all in one day.

[Trademark]

Any thoughts about whether NLX will get funded this year at the Legislature now that the DFL is in full control and there is Infrastructure Bill money/ a huge surplus? Considering the project already has a FONZI (?), construction could begin quickly if funded by MN with Federal funds following. This is my favorite transportation project in the pipeline since it connects two walkable, urban places with real destinations in between.

By the way my buddy's kid attends U of MN Duluth and would be a perfect candidate to take the NLX. He doesn't drive and has been stuck in Duluth due to the current blizzard. All the inter-city buses are sold out until Saturday, so my buddy is going to have to drive up there and back all in one day.

I'd be shocked if this doesn't get funded this year.

[Bakken2016]

Any thoughts about whether NLX will get funded this year at the Legislature now that the DFL is in full control and there is Infrastructure Bill money/ a huge surplus? Considering the project already has a FONZI (?), construction could begin quickly if funded by MN with Federal funds following. This is my favorite transportation project in the pipeline since it connects two walkable, urban places with real destinations in between.

By the way my buddy's kid attends U of MN Duluth and would be a perfect candidate to take the NLX. He doesn't drive and has been stuck in Duluth due to the current blizzard. All the inter-city buses are sold out until Saturday, so my buddy is going to have to drive up there and back all in one day.

It almost got funded this year in a split legislature, with a DFL trifecta, I'm pretty sure it will in 2023.

[Trademark]

Hopefully down the line we can get those new Amtrak Airo's on the NLX. It's not in the initial rollout obviously cause it's not approved yet. But it is going to be implemented in some state supported services, particularly those without sleeper cars. Which would match NLX.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/n ... 904997002/

[Silophant]

I think the assumption has been that NLX would use equipment from the Amtrak Midwest pool, but since this would (I think) be the only Midwestern service not to terminate in Chicago maybe there's no particular reason for that.

[commissioner]

I believe the cars in the Amtrak Midwest pool are owned by the states and not Amtrak, which means that either Minnesota would have to buy the cars or use the new Aeros.

[mattaudio]

It would also be easier to share trainsets between NLX and TCMC if there was one primary Amtrak station/terminal in the metro.
Instead, we'll have Empire Builder and additional Chicago services stopping at SPUD, NLX terminus at Target Field, and a servicing facility at Midway Station.