Northstar train service is potentially planning a trial 6-month run from Minneapolis to St. Cloud sometime in the near future. Feelings are mixed about the benefit to this area.

Governor Dayton is for the idea, and wants to see how it would do for a 6-month trial run. He's set aside $3 million for funding to get it started, so it's just a matter of time before the service will extend to St. Cloud. (Source: WJON)

As much as having this convenience, just to say we have that option, would be nice - How many people would really use it to travel to any of the stops between St. Cloud to Minneapolis?

St. Cloud has so many shopping options in a small area. Many people would travel up here to get a day of shopping in. A benefit to our local economy.

A ton of people from this area work in the Twin Cities and would likely jump on this option, rather than driving to work daily. There's also the benefit of hitting the Cities for an evening out on the town, letting the train do most of the driving for them.

There's all kinds of benefits, but there's also concerns. Many of them are the access to St. Cloud the not-so-welcomed people would have. The train line makes if fast and easy to get to towns along the way. St. Cloud is already considered a close extension of the Twin Cities, so why not have the equal amount of crime here as well? We're already holding our own in crime, so why not just make it easier? That's the concern of a lot of people who live here.

I've taken a the train a couple times to Twins games, and it was a cool experience. There's a ton of people who take it, and most of them were not looking for trouble in either direction we traveled, even after the game was done and liquor was consumed by a few.

I personally think this is a win-win for everybody, with very little negative effects. Crime will find it's way here whether we make it easier to get to St. Cloud or not...in my humble opinion.

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