Northstar Line ready to roll: All aboard!
(The following story by Paul Levy appeared on The Minneapolis Star Tribune website on October 28, 2009.)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Gliding out of Big Lake at 79 miles per hour and avoiding rush-hour traffic as it approaches Target Field, the Northstar commuter rail line is about to arrive. Finally, and on time. The 51-minute ride from rural Sherburne County to downtown Minneapolis -- one that took more than a decade to conceive and $320 million to create -- will be launched in three weeks. When those first gleaming blue, gold and white passenger cars roll out of Big Lake at 5 a.m. on Nov. 16, what will be in store for passengers?
Last week, the Star Tribune took a Northstar test ride, cruising down the track that runs parallel to Hwy. 10 in Anoka and Sherburne counties while bumper-to-bumper, rush-hour motorists tested their patience between traffic lights. Here's a primer for future rail commuters:
SIX STOPS FOR $7: One-way weekday tickets to and from Minneapolis range from $3.25 (from Fridley) to $7 (from Big Lake). One-way trips between other stations are $3.25.
Along with the avoidance of downtown parking fees, honking horns and the single-digit hand gestures of harried drivers, what else does $7 buy commuters?
Unlike light rail, and the constant starting and stopping that come with those trains, the commuter cars offer an almost soothing ride. Early commuters may doze, but not for long, not with whistles sounding at every crossing. The stops in Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids and Fridley come rapidly. But once the train reaches northwest Minneapolis, it slows considerably, usually to about 45 miles per hour, and seemingly slower as it moves through a mammoth freight yard.
Workaholics can start their day early. Some of the seats surround tables with outlets underneath for laptops.
SHORT STOP: Northstar riders not only should be on time; they'd better be on their toes. When the train stops, riders will have 45 seconds to hop on board or depart. Forty-five seconds. That's it.
"We're on a tight schedule," said Edward Byers, director of the commuter rail.
That schedule includes five weekday morning eastbound trips to the Target Field station, the first leaving Big Lake at 5 a.m. and arriving in Minneapolis at 5:51. The last morning train leaves Big Lake at 7:19. There's also one morning westbound train, leaving Minneapolis at 6:05 a.m.
The five westbound evening trains begin leaving Target Field at 3:50 p.m., with the final train departing Minneapolis at 6:10 p.m. Heading the other way, there's one weekday evening eastbound run, leaving Big Lake at 5:03 p.m.
HOPE THE TWINS AVOID EXTRA INNINGS: Weekends are trickier -- with three round trips scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday. The last Saturday train leaves Target Field at 10 p.m. -- a potential problem for rail-traveling Twins fans attending night games. And if you're planning a Sunday evening in Minneapolis, be forewarned: the last Sunday afternoon train leaves Big Lake at 3:24 p.m. and arrives at Target Field at 4:15. But the last west-bound train leaves Minneapolis at 4:45 p.m.
DEODORANT HELPS: Each passenger car has 140 seats, but holds a maximum of 330 riders. Passengers standing in aisles wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs can grab the occasional vertical poles in each car. Most, however, must rely on the grips on the aisle corner of seats.
RELIEF AVAILABLE: Each car has a sizable, wheelchair-accessible restroom.
BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE: The Northstar trains never physically turn around. Trains moving east are pushed by a locomotive in the rear. That means a few lucky early arriving passengers who sit in the left-aisle seats in the first car get a clear view of what's ahead -- although in the early darkness of winter mornings there may be little to see. There is no window opening on the right side of the car, giving the engineer, hidden behind the car wall, some privacy.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT, BUT NOT TRAVEL: There's a statue of a goose at the Big Lake station, and passengers climbing the escalator at the Target Field station will eventually see a huge steel star hanging from the ceiling. You won't see vending machines at Northstar stations, though. Food is not allowed on the train. Nonalcoholic beverages with covers will be permitted.
MORE THAN JUST TWINS TERRITORY: Where there are train stations, there are pigeons -- and the Target Field station apparently is no exception. Byers said netting will be secured in the station to keep nuisances to a minimum.
A BIG DEAL IN BIG LAKE: It's expected that about 3,400 rides will be sold each weekday, once Northstar gets rolling, said spokesman Bob Gibbons. Where is there the most interest? When Northstar offered 350 free tickets at each station outside of Minneapolis for a preview on Nov. 14, Big Lake had by far the most requests -- with 1,705 people inquiring about a total of 5,643 tickets. Next was Fridley.
STEEL WHEELS TOUR: Can a train moving nearly 80 miles per hour stop suddenly -- and safely? In the case of freight trains, because of the weight of dozens of cars carrying tons of cargo, it sometimes takes nearly 2 miles to complete an unplanned stop. But the Northstar engines, which will tow or push four cars (possibly five, if there is a demand), can stop within a quarter-mile of braking, Gibbons said. To further slow the steel wheels braking on steel track, locomotives carry sand that is dispersed automatically during sudden braking, Byers said.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
