Editing Northstar Line (section)

{{short description|Commuter rail route in Minnesota, United States}}
{{About|the Metro Transit commuter rail service|other trains called North Star|North Star (disambiguation)#Rail}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox rail line
|name        = Northstar Line
|logo        = Northstar Commuter Rail.svg
|logo_width  = 150px
|image       = Northstar Doubleheader.jpg
|image_width = 300px
|type        = [[Commuter rail]]
|owner       = [[Metropolitan Council (Minnesota)|Metropolitan Council]]
|system      = [[Metro Transit (Minnesota)|Metro Transit]]
|status      = <!-- Only use when line is not operating normally -->
|locale      = [[Minnesota]] ([[Minneapolis]], [[Hennepin County]], [[Anoka County]] and [[Sherburne County]])
|start       = [[Target Field (Metro Transit station)|Target Field]]
|end         = [[Big Lake (Metro Transit station)|Big Lake]]
|stations    = 7
<!-- |frequency   = 4 weekday round trips -->
|routes      = 
|daily_ridership = {{American transit ridership|MN Minneapolis CR daily}} ({{American transit ridership|dailydate}}){{American transit ridership|dailycitation}}
|ridership2  = {{American transit ridership|MN Minneapolis CR annual}} ({{American transit ridership|annualdate}}){{American transit ridership|annualcitation}}
|open        = {{start date|2009|11|16}}<ref name="metrocouncil.org">{{cite press release| url=http://www.metrocouncil.org/news/2009/news_651.htm| title=Minnesota's new star to begin service Nov. 16| publisher=Metropolitan Council| date=August 31, 2009| access-date=November 30, 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091119092128/http://www.metrocouncil.org/news/2009/news_651.htm| archive-date=November 19, 2009| df=mdy-all}}</ref>
|last        = 
|operator    = [[BNSF Railway]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Taking riders off the road and onto rail: BNSF operates trains for passenger rail services |url=https://www.bnsf.com/news-media/railtalk/service/suburban-services.html |publisher=BNSF Railway |access-date=17 March 2025}}</ref>
|routenumber = 
|trainnumber = 888
|character   = 
|stock       = [[MotivePower]] [[MP36PH-3C]],<br />[[Bombardier BiLevel Coach]]
|linelength  = {{convert|40.1|mi|km}}
|gauge       = {{RailGauge|ussg|allk=on}}
|electrification = 
|speed       = {{convert|79|mph|abbr=on}} [[speed limits in the United States (rail)|maximum]]<br />{{convert|47|mph|abbr=on}} average<!--calculated from 40 miles in 51 minutes-->
|elevation   = 
|map         = {{Switcher
<!-- interactive map can be found on Wikimedia Commons: Data:Northstar Line.map -->
|{{maplink-road|from=Northstar Line.map}} Northstar Line Map (with stations)<hr />
|Show interactive map
|{{Northstar Corridor}}
|Show route diagram
| [[File:Twin-cities-railway-transit.svg|400px]]
| Show static map}}
|website = {{URL|http://www.metrotransit.org/northstar|metrotransit.org/northstar}}
}}

The '''Northstar Line''' {{reporting mark|MNRX}} is a [[commuter rail]] route in the US state of [[Minnesota]]. Northstar runs {{convert|40|mi|km}} from [[Big Lake, Minnesota|Big Lake]] to downtown Minneapolis at [[Target Field]] using existing track and [[Right-of-way (property access)|right-of-way]] owned by the [[BNSF Railway]]. Passenger service began on November 16, 2009.<ref name=kare11>{{cite news| url=http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=828374&catid=391/| work=kare11 News| title=Northstar Commuter Rail service officially begins Monday| date=November 15, 2009| access-date=November 30, 2009| author=Hult, Karla}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="metrocouncil.org" /> The rail line serves part of the Northstar Corridor between [[Minneapolis]] and [[St. Cloud, Minnesota|St. Cloud]]. Planning for the line began in 1997 when the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) was formed.<ref name="history">{{cite web|url=http://www.northstarcorridor.com/abt_history.html|title=History of Northstar|work=Northstar Commuter Rail|publisher=Northstar Corridor Development Authority|year=2009|access-date=February 11, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714195413/http://www.northstarcorridor.com/abt_history.html|archive-date=July 14, 2011}}</ref> The corridor is also served by [[Interstate 94]] and [[U.S. Highway 10]]. In {{American transit ridership|annualdate}}, the system had a ridership of {{American transit ridership|MN Minneapolis CR annual}}, or about {{American transit ridership|MN Minneapolis CR daily}} per weekday as of {{American transit ridership|dailydateasof}}.