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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Two People Killed by Twin Cities Light-Rail Trains in Separate Incidents Within Two Days
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (September 21, 2026). Metro Transit police are investigating two fatal light-rail collisions that killed one person in Saint Paul and another in Minneapolis within approximately 14 hours.
The first collision occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. Friday near University and Prior avenues in Saint Paul. Authorities said a westbound Green Line train struck a person who was on the tracks.
Emergency responders attempted lifesaving measures, but the person died. No other injuries were reported.
The second fatality occurred shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday at the 46th Street Station in Minneapolis. A northbound Blue Line train struck another person on the tracks. That person was pronounced dead at the scene.
Metro Transit temporarily replaced trains with buses between the Snelling Avenue and Raymond Avenue stations following the Saint Paul collision. After the Minneapolis collision, replacement buses operated between the Fort Snelling and Franklin Avenue stations while investigators worked at the scene.
The identities of the two people killed had not been publicly released when this report was prepared. Police also had not explained how either person came to be on the tracks.
Separate Investigations Underway
Metro Transit police are conducting separate investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The available information does not establish whether the victims were attempting to cross the tracks, entered restricted areas, experienced medical or mental-health emergencies or were unable to hear or see the approaching trains.
Officials also have not announced whether video from the trains, stations or nearby properties captured either collision.
The two deaths occurring within such a short period do not by themselves establish a shared mechanical or infrastructure problem. They do, however, place renewed attention on pedestrian access, track visibility and safety measures along the region’s light-rail system.
The Green Line primarily operates along University Avenue between downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul, while the Blue Line connects downtown Minneapolis with Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and the Mall of America.
Both lines include sections where trains operate near street traffic, sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. Other portions use dedicated track areas and station platforms.
Questions for the Safety Review
Investigators will need to determine where each victim entered the track area, whether warning signals operated as intended, the speed and direction of the trains and how much time operators had to respond.
The investigations may also show whether fencing, lighting, warning signs, platform design or pedestrian behavior contributed to either death.
Transit agencies frequently confront a difficult balance between keeping stations accessible and preventing people from entering active track areas. Physical barriers may be practical at some locations but more difficult along street-running portions of a light-rail system.
Any broader conclusions should wait until Metro Transit police complete their investigations. The immediate record establishes two separate deaths, on two different rail lines, in two Twin Cities communities in less than one day.
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