Light Rail

162 photos · 2012–2026

162 photographs tagged Light Rail, 2012–2026.

Stacked concrete railroad crossing panels with metal reinforcement stored outdoors in Minneapolis. — Precast concrete panels like these form the running surface of a railroad grade crossing, fitting between and alongside the rails so vehicles can pass over the tracks without damaging their tires or suspensions.

Construction equipment and containment barriers along Cedar Lake during Metro Green Line Extension work in Minneapolis. — The Kenilworth Channel connects Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, carrying both water traffic and the Kenilworth Trail along its banks. Construction here is tied to the Metro Green Line Extension, a light-rail project that runs through the Kenilworth corridor en route to Eden Prairie.

Target Field Station illuminated at night in Minneapolis's North Loop, surrounded by historic and modern buildings. — Target Field Station is a transit hub in the North Loop next to Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins. It opened in 2014 and brings together the METRO Blue and Green light rail lines, Northstar Commuter Rail, and Metro Transit buses under one roof.

Wooden formwork and steel shoring towers support bridge deck construction over Highway 100 during Green Line Extension light rail — The Green Line Extension is a light rail project adding 14.5 miles of track between Minneapolis and Eatan Prairie, with a bridge crossing over Highway 100 in St. Louis Park as one of its structures. Metro Transit and the Metropolitan Council oversee the project, which extends the existing Green Line that currently runs between Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Formwork and shoring towers built from wood and steel supports are standard methods for pouring concrete bridge decks and piers during highway-spanning construction like this.

Tree Removal on Cedar Lake Trail in St. Louis Park — Trees being removed on the Cedar Lake Trail in St. Louis Park during the Metro Green Line Extension Construction.

Freight train alongside excavated Cedar Lake Trail during Southwest Light Rail construction in Minneapolis, August 2019. — The view of what was the Cedar Lake Trail seen from Burnham Road. The trail was ripped up during light rail construction that will bring a train from Eden Prairie to Minneapolis to St. Paul.

Unpaved construction path beneath highway overpass along Cedar Lake Trail during Metro Transit Green Line Extension project in — The Cedar Lake Trail shortly after it was ripped up during the Metro Transit Green Line Extension light rail project. The trail re-opened in 2025.

Fenced pathway along Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis during Southwest Light Rail construction in 2019. — The Kenilworth Trail construction seen on July 23, 2019. The trail was closed for years

Tree-lined path on Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis during Southwest light rail construction in July 2019. — Trees being cleared out on the Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis during Metro Transit Green Line light rail construction.

Cedar Lake Trail ripped up during train construction — The Cedar Lake Trail in the early days of the METRO Green Line Extension light rail project. The new line will connect Eden Prairie to St Paul.

Cedar Lake Regional Trail Light Rail Construction — Ripped up Cedar Lake Trail during the METRO Green Line Extension construction. Seen in Juily 2019.

Cedar Lake Trail closing over Minehaha Creek — The bridge over Minnehaha Creek on the Cedar Lake Trail during Metro Green Line Extension construction.

Paved trail winds through dense deciduous forest with mature trees lining both sides. — The Kenilworth Trail runs through the Kenilworth corridor connecting the Chain of Lakes area with downtown Minneapolis, following a former rail right-of-way once used by freight lines. The paved path is shared by pedestrians and cyclists and links to the regional Grand Rounds trail network. The corridor has long been the subject of planning debate as the proposed route for the Southwest Light Rail Transit extension of the Metro Green Line, with construction requiring the trail to be rerouted and rebuilt in sections alongside the new rail line.

Grove construction crane and equipment on railroad tracks along the Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis. — The Kenilworth Trail follows a former Milwaukee Road rail corridor connecting Minneapolis's Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles areas to Hopkins. The corridor has been used for freight rail, bike and pedestrian paths, and is the planned route for the Metro Green Line Extension light rail. Construction crews have used the rail line for staging materials, including ties and ballast, during the extension's preliminary work. A Grove mobile crane, commonly used for lifting rail and bridge components, appears among the equipment staged along the tracks.

Orange safety fencing installed along Kenilworth Trail during Metro Green Line Extension construction in Minneapolis. — The Kenilworth Trail runs alongside active freight and light-rail tracks through the Kenilworth Corridor, a narrow strip of land connecting the Chain of Lakes to downtown Minneapolis. The corridor has long carried both recreational trail traffic and rail lines, a dual use that predates the current Green Line Extension project. Construction fencing here marks work tied to that extension, which is adding light-rail tracks through the same shared right-of-way used by the trail and freight rail. The project has required temporary trail reroutes and vegetation clearing along sections of the corridor during construction.

Deteriorated wooden bridge spanning Cedar Lake channel alongside Burnham Trail in Minneapolis during Green Line Extension — The bridge over the Cedar Lake/Lake of the Isles channel in Minneapolis. The bridge was removed and replaced during construction of the Metro Transit Green Line Extension.

The trail just after closure — A freight train travels down the freight rails during the early days of the Metro Green Line Extension project.

Kenilworth Trail Bridge Deconstruction — Kenilworth trail bridge over the Cedar Lake to Lake of the Isles channel being dismantled during Metro Green Line Extension construction.

Yellow Grove mobile crane on Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis during Southwest LRT construction. — This Grove RT600E rough-terrain crane, operated by C.S. McCrossan, was staged along the Kenilworth Trail during construction of Metro Transit's Southwest LRT Green Line Extension. The crane can lift up to 60 tons and extend a boom beyond 100 feet, making it suited for setting bridge and tunnel components along the corridor. The Kenilworth corridor carries freight rail and a recreational trail between the Chain of Lakes and downtown Minneapolis, and became a major staging area for the light-rail line's tunnel and bridge work. C.S. McCrossan, a Minnesota-based heavy civil contractor, has worked on multiple segments of the Southwest LRT project.

Excavated construction site along Kenilworth Trail with brick building and modern apartment tower in Minneapolis. — Construction on the area that was the Kenilworth Trail that connected the Midtown Greenway with the Cedar Lake Trail. The trail was closed for years for construction of the new Metro Transit Green Line Light Rail line.

Illuminated mulch piles steam on the Midtown Greenway during Metro Transit light rail construction in Minneapolis. — Steaming mulch seen on the Midtown Greenway during Metro Transit's light rail construction work.

Burnham Trail in Minneapolis closed for Southwest LRT light rail construction, June 2019. — The Burnham Trail portion of the Kenilworth Trail in Minneapolis. Photo taken in June 2019 after the trail closed in preparation for the Southwest LRT light rail construction.

A John Deere feller buncher sits at the Southwest LRT construction site in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, used for clearing trees for the new transit line. — A John Deere feller buncher, a heavy-duty forestry machine, is parked at the Southwest Light Rail Transit (LRT) construction site in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

Cedar Lake Trail Closes at Cedar Lake Parkway — Closure of Cedar Lake Trail at Cedar Lake Parkway as part of the Metro Transit Green Line Extension construction.

Cedar Lake Trail Closes in June 2019 — Kenilworth Trail n Minneapolis prior to major light rail construction.

Construction equipment and excavation site at Louisiana Avenue light rail station in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. — Metro Transit Louisiana Avenue Green Line Light Rail station prior to construction.

John Deere 843L feller buncher clearing vegetation for Southwest Light Rail Transit construction in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. — A John Deere 843L feller buncher sits parked near the railway tracks in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, during the early stages of construction for the Southwest Light Rail Transit (LRT) project. Designed primarily for forestry work, this heavy-duty machine—with its massive front grapple and thick treaded tires—was adapted for clearing brush and trees along the rail corridor.

Kenilworth Trail detour with stop sign and construction barriers during Southwest Light Rail construction in Minneapolis. — The Kenilworth Trail at the Midtoiwn Greeenway pictured in June 2019.

A trail detour sign in Minneapolis directs cyclists and pedestrians around Southwest LRT construction. The sign shows rerouted paths for the Cedar Lake Trail and Kenilworth Corridor. — A "Trail Detour" sign provides navigation for cyclists and pedestrians around construction for the Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) project in Minneapolis. The map details rerouted paths, indicating temporary closures along popular routes like the Cedar Lake Trail and the Kenilworth Corridor.

Aerial view of light rail construction equipment crossing railroad tracks at Green Line and Beltline Boulevard in St. Louis Park. — Beltline Boulevard crosses a freight rail corridor in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, just west of Minneapolis. The tracks here run through the Southwest LRT corridor, part of the route being rebuilt for the METRO Green Line Extension connecting downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie.

Yellow railroad maintenance vehicle operates on light rail tracks during Southwest LRT construction in St. Louis Park. — The Southwest LRT, also known as the Green Line Extension, is a light rail project extending Metro Transit's existing Green Line roughly 14.5 miles from Minneapolis through St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie. Construction has required extensive work on existing freight rail corridors, including track realignment and maintenance to accommodate shared and adjacent rail lines. The project is being built and overseen by the Metropolitan Council, with completion delayed multiple times past its original targeted opening.

Workers install new rail tracks for the Metro Transit Green Line Extension in St. Louis Park. — Crews working the Southwest LRT line in St. Louis Park use a rail loader car, a flatbed-mounted machine that threads long steel rails off a train and positions them along the roadbed for installation. The Southwest LRT, known operationally as the Green Line Extension, is a Metropolitan Council project extending light rail service roughly 14.5 miles from Minneapolis through St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie. The line runs largely along former freight corridors, requiring extensive new track construction rather than simple conversion of existing rail. Rail-loading equipment like this allows crews to deliver continuous welded rail sections directly to the grade, reducing the need for separate hauling and placement steps during construction.

Long train of empty freight cars lined up on railroad tracks beside green spring vegetation. — The Metro Transit Green Line Extension, also known as the Southwest Light Rail Transit project, is a roughly 14.5-mile light rail line under construction between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It extends the existing Green Line, which opened in 2014 and links downtown Minneapolis with downtown St. Paul. Building the line requires delivering continuous welded rail in long sections, typically hauled on specialized flatcars like the ones pictured here. Metro Transit, the regional transit authority for the Twin Cities, is overseeing construction and will operate the completed extension.

Metro Transit light rail tracks curve past Riverside Plaza in Minneapolis’s Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. — Metro Transit light rail tracks by Riverside Plaza in Minneapolis’s Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Riverside Plaza is a large housing complex along the light rail corridor near Interstate 35W. The tracks curve through the area south of downtown Minneapolis.

Riverside Plaza and the Light Rail Tracks — Riverside Plaza stands tall beyond the METRO Blue Line overpass in the Cedar–Riverside district of Minneapolis. The colorful panels of the 1970s residential towers contrast with the new mid-rise apartments and light rail infrastructure built decades later.

Riverside Plaza and Light Rail tracks April 2019 — The METRO Blue Line curves toward downtown Minneapolis near the Cedar–Riverside neighborhood, passing below the colorful concrete towers of Riverside Plaza at sunset. The complex, designed by architect Ralph Rapson and completed in 1973, is one of the city’s most distinctive examples of Brutalist modernism.

Metro Transit light rail bridge spanning Hiawatha Avenue in South Minneapolis at night. — The Metro Transit light rail bridge spans Hiawatha Avenue in South Minneapolis. Completed in 2018, this structure is part of the Blue Line's expansion.

Interior of a Zürich S-Bahn train with destination board showing Zürich HB as final stop. — The interior of a Zürich S-Bahn train, bound for Zürich Hauptbahnhof (HB), Switzerland's primary railway hub. Launched in 1990, the Zürich S-Bahn was one of Europe's pioneering integrated regional rail systems, connecting the city's suburbs with remarkable efficiency. Zürich HB, a critical node in the network, handles over 400,000 passengers daily, facilitating regional, national, and international travel.

Yellow BVG tram traveling along wet Berlin street with cyclists and office buildings visible from above. — A yellow BVG tram runs along a wet street in Berlin. The tram shares the roadway with cyclists beside a large office building, and the wet pavement shows the vehicle’s lights along the tracks.

S16 S-Bahn departure board at Zürich Flughafen station displaying train schedule to Herrliberg-Feldmeilen. — Zürich Flughafen station displays the S16 S-Bahn departure schedule toward Herrliberg-Feldmeilen. The service is listed to depart at 10:01 with stops at Oerlikon, Hardbrücke, Zürich HB, and Stadelhofen before arriving at 10:35.

St. Louis Park water tower and grain elevator illuminated at dusk above the Cedar Lake Trail paved path. — The Cedar Lake LRT Regional Trail in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. This paved trail follows a former railroad corridor, originally part of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway.

Union Depot station sign in St. Paul directing passengers to downtown Minneapolis via light rail. — 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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