Minnesota Republicans are calling on Congress to prohibit federal funding of the Blue Line light rail extension project and the Northern Lights Express.
In a Friday letter, Minnesota’s Republican congressional delegation described the projects as “significant financial burdens” and “completely unnecessary uses of taxpayer funds.”
The Blue Line extension is a proposed 13.4-mile track connecting downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park.
“The project is currently priced at $3.2 billion and today is only in the design phase, with the first train scheduled to leave the station in 2030,” U.S. Reps. Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber, Michelle Fischbach, and Brad Finstad wrote in their letter.
“This extension is already shaping up to be yet another transportation project that will lead to minimal ridership, huge capital costs, and adverse effects on Minnesotans. Already, the 27,000 weekday riders projected on the Blue Line have been more than halved to 12,500 riders since its inception, yet this extension plan has continued,” they said.
Additionally, the letter expressed “serious concerns” with the Northern Lights Express, a proposed commuter line between Minneapolis and Duluth that had an estimated $600 million cost, according to the letter.
“In 2023, the Minnesota legislature allocated $116 million as a 20% local match in hopes of leveraging future federal grants,” said the letter. “This leaves taxpayers potentially liable for a $400 million loan for yet another mismanaged commuter line. Without federal funding, this project cannot move forward, and the $116 million set aside can be used for more immediate and necessary infrastructure needs.”
Matching grants from the federal government were expected to provide 80% of the project’s funding.
However, Gov. Tim Walz and legislative leaders opted last year to cut funding for the Northern Lights Express as part of a two-year budget deal. As such, Minnesota Rep. Jon Koznick said the planned connection between Duluth and Minneapolis is “effectively dead.”
Friday’s letter was addressed to the chairman and ranking member of a U.S. House subcommittee and urged them to include language to eliminate funding for the projects in an appropriations bill.
“These transportation projects are not only unpopular, but also unsuccessful and a waste of taxpayer dollars,” Emmer said in a statement. “Minnesotans have real needs when it comes to transportation, but projects like these take funding away from projects that will improve road safety, decrease traffic, and keep up with Minnesota’s growing communities. We are committed to spending our tax dollars responsibly and making sure they go toward projects that will better Minnesota.”
Commuter rail projects have been a frequent subject of criticism in Minnesota in recent years, particularly the Southwest light rail project, which is more than $1 billion over budget and years behind schedule.
Additionally, the Northstar line shut down earlier this year after falling well below its ridership projections.
“As the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Subcommittee prepares the bill for FY27, we respectfully urge you to consider adding a provision that would prohibit federal funding to the Northern Lights Express commuter line and the Blue Line Light Rail Extension project,” the letter concluded.
At the state level, Rep. Koznick has introduced a bill in the Minnesota House that would redirect funding for the Blue Line extension to bus rapid transit routes instead.
WATCH: Minnesota Rep. Jon Koznick sounds the alarm on the Blue Line light rail extension project:
“If Hennepin County wants to build a $3.5 billion train, the rest of the state shouldn’t have to pay to operate it or pay the $57 million to maintain it.”
“The cost of the… pic.twitter.com/PWMN2p5wDF
— Anthony Gockowski (@AntGockowski) March 25, 2026
“If Hennepin County wants to build a $3.5 billion train, the rest of the state shouldn’t have to pay to operate it or pay the $57 million to maintain it,” Koznick said during a recent press conference. “Minnesotans cannot afford to sink billions of dollars into rail systems that may be obsolete before they even get built.”
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
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