Minneapolis Trains

Metro Transit Blue and Green Lines, Northstar Commuter Rail, and the stations and bridges that connect them across the Twin Cities

July 15, 2012 - December 18, 2025

Rail travel in Minneapolis and the broader Twin Cities region spans freight corridors, commuter lines, and an expanding light rail network woven through some of the city's most distinct neighborhoods. The system has grown substantially since 2004, when the original Hiawatha Line opened as the region's first modern light rail route between downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America.

That original line, now branded the METRO Blue Line, set the foundation for what became a multi-route network operated by Metro Transit. The METRO Green Line followed, connecting Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul, while the Northstar Commuter Rail line launched in 2009 along existing freight corridors to communities northwest of the city. Each route made use of infrastructure that was already present in the landscape — former rail rights-of-way, river crossings, and industrial corridors repurposed for passenger service.

Alongside the passenger network, heavy freight operations continue at facilities like Northtown Yard in North Minneapolis, one of the region's major classification yards, and along BNSF Railway corridors that pass through Northeast Minneapolis near the Mississippi River. Union Depot in St. Paul, a 1923 terminal that sat largely dormant for decades, was restored and reopened in 2012 as a multimodal hub linking light rail, Amtrak, and regional bus service.

The network continues to expand. The Southwest Light Rail Transit project, known as the Green Line Extension, is under construction and will add stations including Bryn Mawr in Minneapolis, extending service further into the western suburbs. Target Field Station in the North Loop serves as the system's central transfer point, where the Blue Line, Green Line, and Northstar trains converge alongside daily bus service.

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Northstar Train and North Loop Green
December 18, 2025 — A Northstar Train below the North Loop Green buildings in Downtown Minneapolis.
Bryn Mawr Station Spring Sunset
March 11, 2025 — Bryn Mawr Station in Minneapolis is shown at sunset, with its platforms and tracks under construction. This station is a key component of the Metro Transit Green Line Extension, also known as the Southwest Light Rail Transit (LRT) project. Upon its completion, Bryn Mawr Station will serve as a vital transit point, connecting residents to the broader regional light rail network.
Blue Line train at Cedar Riverside LRT March 2025
March 9, 2025 — A Metro Transit Blue Line light rail train is stopped at the Cedar Riverside Station in Minneapolis. Opened in 2004 as the Hiawatha Line, the Blue Line connects downtown Minneapolis with Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and the Mall of America. The Cedar Riverside station provides essential transit access for a diverse urban neighborhood, including the University of Minnesota's West Bank campus and local businesses.
Commuters and outreach workers at train station
March 10, 2024 — TRIP Outreach workers engage with riders at the Warehouse District/Hennepin Station, a key Light Rail Transit (LRT) stop in downtown Minneapolis. Opened in 2004 as part of Metro Transit's Blue Line, this station serves as a vital transportation hub connecting the Warehouse District to the wider metropolitan area. The TRIP Outreach program, which includes violence interrupters, operates within the Metro Transit system to foster a safer environment for passengers and address community concerns.
Passenger train goes over a major river
March 4, 2024 — The Northstar Line commuter train crosses a railway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, as observed in March 2024. This bridge is an integral part of the Northstar Commuter Rail line, which connects downtown Minneapolis with communities to the northwest, providing public transportation. The Northstar Line began service in 2009, utilizing existing freight rail corridors and new infrastructure to establish a vital link in the region's transit network.
Government Plaza LRT Station, April 2023
April 23, 2023 — Government Plaza LRT station in downtown Minneapolis.
A blue and yellow METRO Blue Line light rail train travels through the Warehouse District in downtown Minneapolis.
July 24, 2022 — A METRO Blue Line light rail train travels through the Warehouse District in downtown Minneapolis. Operated by Metro Transit, the Blue Line connects downtown Minneapolis to the Mall of America and Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport via the Hiawatha corridor. The Warehouse District, once a hub for wholesale and manufacturing warehouses, is now a mixed-use area known for its historic brick buildings, restaurants, and entertainment venues along 1st Avenue and 5th Street.
A yellow and blue METRO Blue Line light rail train approaches a street crossing near downtown Minneapolis.
July 12, 2022 — A METRO Blue Line light rail train approaches the E 26th Street grade crossing near downtown Minneapolis. The Blue Line, operated by Metro Transit, connects downtown Minneapolis to the Mall of America and Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport along a corridor of shared rail and street-level crossings. This segment runs through a mixed industrial and residential area south of downtown, following former railroad right-of-way converted for light rail use.
Target Field sign above train station
May 10, 2022 — Target Field Station in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a transit hub next to Target Field that connects the METRO Blue and Green light rail lines with Northstar Commuter Rail and bus service. Opened in 2009 as part of the ballpark and transit redevelopment in the North Loop area, the station was built to handle both daily riders and large game-day crowds for Minnesota Twins home games.
Metro Transit light rail train crossing I-35W near Cedar-Riverside Station with Riverside Plaza towers in the background.
June 2, 2021 — A Metro Transit light rail train crosses Interstate 35W approaching the Cedar-Riverside Station in Minneapolis. The station serves the Blue and Green Lines and sits adjacent to the Riverside Plaza high-rise complex, a distinctive Brutalist housing development completed in 1973. Cedar-Riverside is a densely populated neighborhood near the University of Minnesota, and the station functions as a key transit link between downtown Minneapolis and the university area.
Boarded-up entrance to Government Plaza light rail station in downtown Minneapolis at night.
April 5, 2021 — Government Plaza Station serves the Blue and Green Line light rail routes in downtown Minneapolis, operated by Metro Transit. Located near the Hennepin County Government Center, the stop provides connections toward St. Paul, the Mall of America, and Target Field. The entrance shown here was boarded up along its glass panels during a period of civil unrest in the city in 2021.
A wrapped Siemens light rail vehicle sits on Blue Line tracks in Minneapolis at night.
February 23, 2021 — A newly delivered Siemens light rail vehicle sits wrapped in protective covering on the Metro Transit Blue Line tracks in Minneapolis. The car is part of an order of new LRVs built to expand and modernize the region's light rail fleet, which serves the Hiawatha corridor and connects to planned Southwest LRT service. New vehicles are typically shipped with a temporary plastic wrap to protect exterior finishes during transport and initial testing before entering passenger service.
Light rail train passing scaffolded Minneapolis City Hall building in downtown Minneapolis at night.
February 17, 2021 — A METRO light rail train passes Minneapolis City Hall in downtown Minneapolis, which was undergoing exterior renovation and scaffolding work at the time. Completed in 1889, the Romanesque Revival building houses Hennepin County government offices and Minneapolis municipal courts. The light rail line running alongside it connects downtown Minneapolis to surrounding communities as part of the Twin Cities METRO system.
A Metro Transit light rail train passes downtown Minneapolis buildings near US Bank Stadium on a snowy street.
February 17, 2021 — A Metro Transit light rail train passes along South 5th Street near US Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. This stretch of track serves the METRO Blue and Green Lines, connecting downtown to the stadium, Nicollet Mall, and surrounding neighborhoods. The Wells Fargo tower and nearby residential high-rises form part of the district's mixed commercial and residential skyline.
Metro Transit light rail car parked outside a maintenance facility at night in South Minneapolis.
July 5, 2020 — A Metro Transit light rail vehicle sits outside a maintenance and storage facility in South Minneapolis. The building services light rail cars operating on the METRO system, which includes the Blue and Green Lines connecting Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding suburbs. Overhead catenary lines and adjacent track sidings support daily servicing and staging of trains before they return to passenger service.
Yellow Metro Transit Blue Line train stopped at Warehouse District Station in Minneapolis.
June 9, 2020 — The Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue Station serves Metro Transit's METRO Blue Line, which runs between downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America in Bloomington via Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. The line opened in 2004 as the region's first light rail line, originally branded the Hiawatha Line. This station sits along Hennepin Avenue in the Warehouse District, a neighborhood of former wholesale and manufacturing buildings that now houses bars, theaters, and offices. Metro Transit, the regional operator, also runs the METRO Green Line and an extensive bus network connecting to this stop.
Illuminated platform sign for Cedar-Riverside light rail station reading "to downtown Minneapolis" at night.
April 27, 2020 — Cedar-Riverside Station serves the METRO Blue and Green Lines in Minneapolis, adjacent to the West Bank neighborhood and University of Minnesota. Opened in 2004 as part of the original Hiawatha Line, it provides a direct connection to downtown Minneapolis and the broader light rail network operated by Metro Transit. The station sits near Augsburg University and the Cedar-Riverside residential towers, an area historically home to a large East African immigrant community.
Empty light rail platform and curved canopy at Target Field Station in the North Loop, Minneapolis.
April 27, 2020 — Target Field Station sits in the North Loop neighborhood of downtown Minneapolis, serving as a stop on the METRO Blue and Green light rail lines. The station connects riders to Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, and links the North Loop to downtown Minneapolis and the broader METRO system. During the COVID-19 shutdown in spring 2020, ridership dropped sharply as stay-at-home orders reduced regular transit use across the Twin Cities.
Empty light rail platform at Warehouse District/Hennepin Station in downtown Minneapolis at night.
March 28, 2020 — The Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue Station serves the METRO Blue and Green Lines in downtown Minneapolis, connecting riders to Target Field, St. Paul, and the Mall of America. Located near the Warehouse District entertainment area on 5th Street, the station provides transit access to nearby bars, clubs, and Target Field Station. It functions as a key stop within Metro Transit's light rail network linking downtown Minneapolis to the broader Twin Cities region.
BNSF locomotive 8005 passes the Harrison Street crossing in Northeast Minneapolis at sunset.
April 18, 2019 — A BNSF Railway locomotive passes the Harrison Street crossing in Northeast Minneapolis. The crossing is part of the rail corridor that runs through the neighborhood near the Mississippi River.
The Metro Transit light rail bridge over Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis, completed in 2018, serves as a key component of the Blue Line's expansion and the city's transit infrastructure.
April 25, 2018 — The Metro Transit light rail bridge spans Hiawatha Avenue in South Minneapolis, a vital artery for the city's public transportation system. Completed in 2018, this structure is part of the Blue Line's expansion, facilitating efficient transit for thousands of commuters.
Northtown Yard freight trains in North Minneapolis, a major rail hub for regional and national goods movement.
September 17, 2017 — Northtown Yard, a major rail freight hub in North Minneapolis, is seen here with numerous freight cars. This yard serves as a critical point for the movement of goods throughout the region and beyond. Its extensive network of tracks and classification facilities allows for the efficient sorting and assembly of trains.
Union Depot in St. Paul points to downtown Minneapolis.
July 15, 2012 — Union Depot in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a regional transportation hub serving light rail, buses, and Amtrak. The restored 1923 terminal reopened in 2012 after decades of decline and renovation.

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