Starting next week in the Twin Cities, light rail trains will stop running on the entire Blue Line — and part of the Green Line — for weeks. Buses will take their place as crews work on the rails and stations. It’s part of a $175 million update that Metro Transit is calling “Renew the Blue.”
The agency says the Blue Line, now 22 years old, is in need of major maintenance.
Beginning next Monday, June 29, and lasting until Aug. 19, Metro Transit is halting the Blue Line trains that carry around 15,000 riders each weekday. Green Line trains through downtown Minneapolis will also be sidelined for several weeks, starting July 1.
In their place the agency plans to run 60-foot buses every 15 minutes, along as close to the same route as possible.
That will allow crews to update signals and power lines, repair rails, and give stations a facelift. Brian Funk, Metro Transit’s chief operating officer, says the repairs are needed to keep trains running for years to come.
"We’re not at a point right now where it’s degrading our safety, but we need to get it fixed right away. We’re also adding in functionality. So we’re making that investment at the same time, and then doing a renewal on all of the stations,” Funk said.
He said those station improvements include “new glass, better benches, new real-time signs, all of those things to make the most of this maintenance outage.”
General Manager Lesley Kandaras says the goal is to make the construction season as painless as possible.
“The buses will be able to handle the capacity and the people who need to ride it. However, buses do take longer than trains, so it’s important that riders know to check the schedules to plan ahead, and expect that it will take longer to get where they need to go on buses than it does on a train,” Kandaras said.
Staff ambassadors and signage will help alert riders to where to find replacement bus stops. Metro Transit says riders, on average, should expect bus rides to take about 15 minutes longer than trains.
