The Northern Lights Express (NLX) is a planned higher-speed rail service that would run between Minneapolis and Duluth primarily in the U.S. state of Minnesota. A portion of the proposed line would run through neighboring Wisconsin to serve Duluth's "Twin Port" of Superior. Plans are to upgrade an existing BNSF Railway freight line to allow trains to travel at up to . The train service is said to provide an alternative to traveling Interstate 35 between Duluth and the Twin Cities or to other destinations along the line such as the casino in Hinckley. The proposed service's trains would mostly follow the same route as Amtrak's former North Star, except that it would originate in Minneapolis rather than neighboring Saint Paul, and it is planned to stop at a suburban Twin Cities station (probably constructed at Metro Transit's Foley Boulevard bus station). The proposed route follows part of the Northstar commuter rail route which opened in 2009, and would contain the entirety of the proposed Bethel Corridor commuter route, although that service is not expected to be operational by the time recent estimates of when NLX might open. History The Northern Lights Express would be the first passenger rail service to Duluth since 1986, when Amtrak discontinued the North Star. Alternatives analysis and a corridor assessment report were complete as of summer 2010. The line had initially been projected to open as early as 2012, though more recent sources had stated 2013 or 2014 as start dates. As of 2010, the project was entering either an 18-month Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process or a shorter Environmental Assessment (EA) review, but it was unclear which path was to be taken. The shorter EA process was strongly advocated by former Rep. James Oberstar, former chairman of the U.S. House Transportation Committee, who represented northern Minnesota. Discussion about the Northern Lights Express dates back at least a decade. A preliminary feasibility study was conducted around the year 2000, followed by a comprehensive feasibility study in 2006–2007. A joint powers board was established in 2007 consisting of the regional rail authorities for counties along the corridor along with representatives from Minneapolis, Duluth, and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. The name was given to the line in March 2008 by a vote of the corridor's stakeholders. A feasibility study was completed in late 2007 which evaluated service at speeds of , , and ,