The Northern Lights Express (NLX) project is a planned higher-speed rail service that would run 155 miles (249 km) between Minneapolis and Duluth primarily in the U.S. state of Minnesota.

The proposed service's trains would mostly follow the same route as Amtrak's former North Star, except originating in Minneapolis rather than Saint Paul, and would stop at a suburban station, Foley Boulevard.

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.

[4] 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.

[1] Trains would also operate at a surplus at 125 mph (201 km/h), but higher capital costs and only a modest reduction in travel time made that option look less attractive.

[12] Planning for the line received a big boost at the end of September 2008 when U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced that the federal government would contribute $30 million to passenger rail projects across the country.

[13] On September 9, 2011, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a grant of $5 million to fund environmental and engineering studies for the project.

[20][21] In December 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration accepted an application by MnDOT to enter the Minneapolis–Duluth route into its Corridor Identification and Development Program.

From Superior to Duluth, the train would be on BNSF again, crossing the Grassy Point swing bridge back into Minnesota and then turning northeast to travel along the shore of St. Louis Bay.

The train would exit BNSF rails at Rice's Point and would then run along the North Shore Scenic Railroad for a short segment into the Duluth Union Depot.

A preliminary study from around the year 2000 projected a cost of $79 million to purchase rolling stock and upgrade track along the existing line, though this apparently only anticipated 79 miles per hour (127 km/h) service.

The wide range of cost estimates relates to how much of the 140-mile (230 km) line between Coon Creek Junction and Duluth would need to be upgraded from the current single-track configuration to a double-track corridor.

At that pace, the trains could do more than one round trip per day, reducing the number of trainsets needed to provide frequent service.

[12] The double-track main line south of Coon Creek Junction is the busiest rail corridor in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.