Metro Transit offers tours of Northstar facility in Big Lake

Metro Transit on Saturday is showing off the Northstar commuter rail line and facilities in Big Lake where trains are parked.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., officials will give tours of the operations and maintenance facility at 19699 County Road 43 in Big Lake.

Metro Transit will run a special non-stop train from Big Lake to Target Field Station and back, with the departure at 10 a.m. Lunch also will be served.

The open house comes as Metro Transit is trying to win back customers who left the train amid delays and introduce the service to others who have not tried it, said General Manager Brian Lamb during a recent Met Council meeting.

"Over the past year and a half we have struggled with ontime performance issues on the mainline," he said, referencing weather delays and those caused by track maintenance issues and heavy freight traffic clogging the tracks. "We have had a few good months, but we want to reintroduce and invite the community to not only tour our facility in Big Lake, but take a free ride to Minneapolis and see how convenient Northstar is."

Metro Transit runs daily service along the 41-mile line with stops at Ramsey, Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids and Fridley in addition to the ending points of Big Lake and Target Field in downtown Minneapolis.

Along with commuter service, Metro Transit runs special trains for Twins, Vikings and other special events.