Northstar service between Minneapolis and Big Lake, Minn., was shuttered Jan. 4, with buses replacing trains along the route, according to local media reports. The Minnesota Star Tribune and other media outlets
The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Central Oklahoma wins a USDOT grant to evaluate at-grade crossings along a proposed commuter rail corridor. Also, Utah Transit Authority (UTA) finalizes plans for a new TRAX light rail line; the Minnesota governor’s budget proposal reduces support for rail operations at Metro Transit; Chicago’s Metra is reopening one commuter rail station and closing another temporarily for rehab on its Metra Electric Line; and Amtrak Virginia sets an all-time record with 2024 ridership.
![“Today, the 9.1-mile, four-station Foothill Gold Line light rail project from Glendora to Pomona [California] reached substantial completion on time and on budget,” the project team reported Jan. 3 via social media platform X. (Foothill Gold Line Image)](https://www.old.railwayage.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/FoothillGoldLine-315x168.png)
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) $1.5 billion Foothill Gold Line light rail project in California reaches substantial completion. Also, Metropolitan (Met) Council’s 2025 operating budget invests in a “safe, clean, and welcoming experience” for Metro Transit rail and bus riders in the Twin Cities; and Sacramento Regional Transit District’s (SacRT) light rail service resumes to all Folsom, Calif., area stations.
PS Technology (PST) appoints Rushi Patel President and CEO. Also, the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) welcomes new officers and executive director; the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) appoints Ronald Keele new Chief Safety Officer; and Minnesota’s Metropolitan Council (Met Council) selects Ernest Morales III as Chief of the Metro Transit Police Department.
Minnesota’s Metropolitan Council (Met Council) approves $350 million in federal transportation investments. Also, Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Bryn Mawr Red Line Station wins Architecture “MasterPrize” Award and Garfield Green Line Station wins BLT Built Design Award; LA Metro’s Foothill Gold Line Light Rail Project is nearly two-thirds complete as 2022 ends; and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Pawtucket, R.I., commuter rail station is set to open Jan. 23.
Minnesota’s Hennepin County Board of Commissioners has approved a contract with the Center of Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) to establish an Anti-Displacement Workgroup that will help advance the Metro Blue Line Extension LRT project in Minneapolis; construction, however, is still many years away.
