Extended Green Line will expand access for thousands of metro area residents to jobs, housing, entertainment and other opportunities.
Customers will be able to ride the extension of the METRO Green Line beginning June 12, 2027, Metropolitan Council leaders announced on Saturday.
The 2027 opening day announcement comes as testing, training and construction activities continue across the 14.5-mile corridor that will extend light rail service from St. Paul and Minneapolis to St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie.
The extension expands access to jobs, housing, parks and more in those communities and along the existing 11-mile Green Line, which opened in 2014 and connects St. Paul and Minneapolis.
"Announcing an opening date is more than a milestone, it's the moment decades of planning, building, and believing come together into something riders will experience every single day," said Metropolitan Council Chair Robin Hutcheson. "This is the start of a bold new chapter for our regional transit network, one that will connect communities, expand opportunity, and move our region forward for generations to come."
Since its inception, the project has moved forward through the efforts of countless community members, local leaders, and state officials, including Govs. Mark Dayton and Tim Walz. Funding for what has been the largest infrastructure project in the state’s history was provided by the Federal Transit Administration, Hennepin County, the State of Minnesota and cities along the corridor.
“This project is more than just new tracks and stations. It’s about connecting our community to opportunity,” said St. Louis Park Mayor Nadia Mohamed. “With service stretching from Hopkins and Minnetonka to Eden Prairie, and all the way into Minneapolis and St. Paul, the Green Line gives residents and employers direct, reliable access to jobs across the metro. It means a deeper labor pool for our businesses. Many of St. Louis Park’s largest employers are within just a few blocks of the three new stations – Loffler, Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital, Japs Olson and NordicWare, to name a few. Between them, they employ thousands of people."
Among those looking forward to opening day is Minneapolis resident Derrick Smith, who works as a dietary aide at Methodist Hospital near Louisiana Avenue Station.
Smith currently uses two local buses, carpools, or drives to work; after the extension opens, he plans to commute on the METRO B Line and Green Line. “This will be much easier,” he said.
Workforce expanding to meet future needs
Before customers can be invited on board next year, thousands of tests must be completed along the corridor. Final construction activities are occurring in and around a tunnel that will bring trains under Cedar Lake Parkway in Minneapolis.
Metro Transit is also training staff and filling open positions to support the extension, particularly in the rail maintenance area. Staff this month began moving into a new Rail Support Facility in Hopkins that will serve as a hub for transit workers.
“Metro Transit is excited to expand service to our region by launching the extended Green Line,” Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras said. “We are actively preparing for opening day and beyond, including hiring more transit workers to deliver safe, clean, and reliable service.”
To explore career opportunities, visit metrotransit.org/careers.
Comment on proposed bus service improvements through Oct. 4
As work on the extension continues, Metro Transit is inviting feedback on proposed bus service improvements that will strengthen connections to new Green Line stations. Comments on the proposed improvements can be submitted through Sunday, Oct. 4.