The Northstar commuter train line opened in 2009 with five MPI MP36PH-3C locomotives and seventeen Bombardier BiLevel Coach cars. In June 2010, Metro Transit had decided to purchase the sixth locomotive it had leased from Utah Transit Agency (UTAX), MP36PH-3S 512, due to high leasing costs and the need to have an extra locomotive for when others are being repaired or inspected. It was then repainted into the Northstar scheme and renumbered to MNRX 512.
The first Northstar commuter train of the afternoon stops at the first station of its journey to Big Lake. MNRX MP36PH-3S 512, leading this four-car train, was originally owned by Utah’s Front Runner commuter operation, as UTAX 12.
The Northstar Commuter Rail line in the Minneapolis area is shutting down in January 2026, transitioning to a significantly expanded express bus service due to low ridership post-pandemic and high operating costs. One would think that rail service in snowy conditions would be superior to bus service, but it is all about the money and not commuters' safety and comfort, I suppose…
