Northstar Line

Proposals to extend the line continued to surface in the years following its opening. In 2016 and 2018, Minnesota state legislators proposed extending the line to St. Cloud using existing equipment by running two daily round-trips to St. Cloud and reducing other trips to Minneapolis from five to four.{{cite news |last1=Bakst |first1=Brian |title=Two GOP lawmakers want Northstar to go to St. Cloud |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/03/28/two-gop-lawmakers-want-northstar-to-go-to-st-cloud |access-date=July 21, 2022 |work=MPR News |date=March 28, 2016 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Hertel |first1=Nora G. |title=Pitch for St. Cloud Northstar rail route gets one green light |url=https://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2018/03/29/pitch-st-cloud-northstar-rail-route-gets-one-green-light/469694002/ |access-date=July 21, 2022 |work=St. Cloud Times |date=March 29, 2018}} Governor [[Mark Dayton]] proposed a six-month demonstration service to St. Cloud in 2017 but the demonstration would have only included 1 round trip per day, without stopping at stations between Minneapolis and St. Cloud.{{cite news |last1=Dickrell |first1=Stephanie |title=Advocates welcome Northstar demonstration plan |url=https://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2017/03/17/dayton-budget-would-fund-northstar-st-cloud/99308308/ |access-date=July 21, 2022 |work=St. Cloud Times |date=March 17, 2017}} Extending the line to [[Camp Ripley]] was proposed in 2019 by House of Representative legislators.{{cite web |title=HF 856 Status in the House for the 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) |url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF0856&ssn=0&y=2019 |website=www.revisor.mn.gov |publisher=Minnesota House of Representatives |access-date=July 21, 2022 |date=February 7, 2019}} Another extension feasibility study sponsored by MnDOT was released in July 2020.{{cite web |title=Northstar Commuter Rail Extension Feasibility Assessment |url=https://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/northstar-study/pdf/northstar-extension-feasibility-report.pdf |publisher=Minnesota Department of Transportation and Quandel Consultants |access-date=July 21, 2022 |date=July 31, 2020}}

Proposals to extend the line continued to surface in the years following its opening. In 2016 and 2018, Minnesota state legislators proposed extending the line to St. Cloud using existing equipment by running two daily round-trips to St. Cloud and reducing other trips to Minneapolis from five to four.{{cite news |last1=Bakst |first1=Brian |title=Two GOP lawmakers want Northstar to go to St. Cloud |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/03/28/two-gop-lawmakers-want-northstar-to-go-to-st-cloud |access-date=July 21, 2022 |work=MPR News |date=March 28, 2016 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Hertel |first1=Nora G. |title=Pitch for St. Cloud Northstar rail route gets one green light |url=https://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2018/03/29/pitch-st-cloud-northstar-rail-route-gets-one-green-light/469694002/ |access-date=July 21, 2022 |work=St. Cloud Times |date=March 29, 2018}} Governor [[Mark Dayton]] proposed a six-month demonstration service to St. Cloud in 2017 but the demonstration would have only included 1 round trip per day, without stopping at stations between Minneapolis and St. Cloud.{{cite news |last1=Dickrell |first1=Stephanie |title=Advocates welcome Northstar demonstration plan |url=https://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2017/03/17/dayton-budget-would-fund-northstar-st-cloud/99308308/ |access-date=July 21, 2022 |work=St. Cloud Times |date=March 17, 2017}} Extending the line to [[Camp Ripley]] was proposed in 2019 by House of Representative legislators.{{cite web |title=HF 856 Status in the House for the 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) |url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF0856&ssn=0&y=2019 |website=www.revisor.mn.gov |publisher=Minnesota House of Representatives |access-date=July 21, 2022 |date=February 7, 2019}} Another extension feasibility study sponsored by MnDOT was released in July 2020.{{cite web |title=Northstar Commuter Rail Extension Feasibility Assessment |url=https://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/northstar-study/pdf/northstar-extension-feasibility-report.pdf |publisher=Minnesota Department of Transportation and Quandel Consultants |access-date=July 21, 2022 |date=July 31, 2020}}

Possible extension of the line was revived in the 2022 Transportation Omnibus bill passed by the MN legislature. The bill included funding for a study that would have considered different possible rail service to the St. Cloud and [[Fargo–Moorhead|Fargo-Moorhead]] regions.

Possible extension of the line was revived in the 2022 Transportation Omnibus bill passed by the MN legislature. The bill funded a study that have considered different possible rail service to the St. Cloud and [[Fargo–Moorhead|Fargo-Moorhead]] regions. The study identified an increased demand for intercity passenger rail service, and explored proposals including the Northstar extension and a new intercity passenger service.[https://mdl.mndot.gov/items/m17752 "Twin Cities-St. Cloud-Fargo-Moorhead Corridor Study."] Minnesota Department of Transportation. February 2025.

== Pandemic and termination ==

== Pandemic and termination ==