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House panel sends Northstar termination bill to General Register after MnDOT/Met Council say alternatives warranted
Summary
The House Transportation Committee advanced House File 269, which directs the Metropolitan Council and MnDOT to pursue federal waivers and plans to end Northstar commuter rail operations; Met Council chair and MnDOT commissioner signaled support for evaluating alternatives, and the committee debated cost, ridership and next steps.
Representative Kosnick introduced House File 269 and described it as legislation directing the Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to request federal waivers and to develop proposals to discontinue Northstar commuter rail operations if necessary. Kosnick said the line has “ridiculously low ridership, ridiculously huge operating subsidies, and ridiculously expensive maintenance cost.”
The bill drew extensive testimony from transit officials, labor representatives, community members and former Met Council members. Annette Meeks, former chair of the Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Committee, summarized years of planning and ridership shortfalls and said, “The North Star is not feasible or viable. It is a loser of a line that needs to terminate.” Meeks cited Met Council documents and studies that, she said, show steep per‑rider subsidies and decades of underperformance.
Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle and MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger testified that both agencies support carefully evaluating…
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