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Community celebrates opening of
Northstar Commuter Rail Line, November 14, 2009
Photo essay by Steve Share, Minneapolis Labor Review editor
See accompanying news story from Minneapolis Labor Review
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Above: Anoka's Northstar Commuter Rail station: one of six community celebrations along the line Saturday, November 14. |
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Above: Speakers at the Anoka celebration November 14 included Anoka County Commissioner Dan Erhart, who chaired the Northstar Corridor Development Authority. Other speakers that day credited Erhart as the “visionary” who helped lead the effort to build the partnerships that made Northstar a reality. Local, state, and federal officials, together with the business community and labor, celebrated the opening of what they hope will be the first of several commuter rail lines serving the metropolitan region. |
Right: "You made this happen in spite of a whole lot of people saying 'no,'" said State Senator Tarryl Clark, St. Cloud, addressing the crowd. "Help us stay together," Clark urged, as efforts continue to extend Northstar to St. Cloud. |
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Above: Following the Anoka celebration, 800 holders of free tickets waited for a Northstar train to arrive for a ride to downtown Minneapolis and back. |
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Above: Two members of a group of Civil War re-enactors entertained the crowd with bugle calls. |
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Above: Local officials cut a ribbon to open the Anoka staion. |
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Above: The Northstar train arrives November 14 at the Anoka station, the engineer illuminated by the afternoon sunlight. The engineers are members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, a division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. |
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Above: On board Northstar en route to downtown Minneapolis. |
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Above: A view of the downtown skyline from the train as Northstar crosses the Mississippi River. |
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Above: Passengers disembarked November 14 for a one-hour stay at the Target Field station, which featured live music, historical displays, and information booths. |
Right: Thomas Gangle, Northstar conductor, is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. |
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Above: Passengers returned to the Anoka station. |
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Above: After the day's celebration November 14, the Anoka station awaited the beginning of regular Northstar service November 16. |
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