The new Northstar commuter train station in Ramsey opens for business today, and Northstar marks its third anniversary on Friday. Both today and Thursday, all rides on Northstar will be free.

The Ramsey station, built at a cost of about $13 million, is the seventh station along the 41-mile line, which runs between Minneapolis and Big Lake in Sherburne County. The stations, from southeast to northwest, are in Minneapolis (outside Target Field), Fridley, Coon Rapids, Anoka, Ramsey, Elk River and Big Lake.

The first train out of Ramsey was scheduled to leave for points southeast at 5:16 this morning. On weekdays, there are five Minneapolis-bound trains leaving Ramsey between 5:16 and 7:36 in the morning, and five trains out of Minneapolis in the late afternoon.

There's also one southeast-bound train leaving each afternoon and one that heads northwest out of Minneapolis each morning. For further information, including schedules and fares, go to www.northstartrain.org.