SCENES FROM DAY ONE

EXURB TO SUBURB VIA BIKE: Mark Dinsmore, 35, an engineer from Big Lake, got his bicycle out of the garage rafters and rode 2 miles to the train station. Once on board, he parked his bike, got out his laptop and looked over some work before heading to his job in Fridley.

NO COST: For Ken Brown, 29, of Monticello, riding Northstar makes solid financial sense. Brown, who then took a light-rail train and a bus to his job as a webmaster in Hopkins, is an ex-Marine whose veteran's disability allows him to ride for free.

ALL ABOARD: A Burlington Northern employee who began his Northstar training in July, conductor Vincent Roberts, left, said he was happy with the initial turnout and the way the train moved; the 5 a.m. train arrived in Minneapolis three minutes early.

CHEAPER BY THE HALF-DOZEN: Mike Kaufman of Coon Rapids took Northstar toward the airport on Monday, and he said he's really looking forward to taking it to a Twins game with his kids -- all six of them. Children are eligible for discount fares on the weekends, and Kaufman can bring three kids 5 and under with him for free (he's got four of those). They'll enjoy the experience, he said, and arriving right at the stadium instead of walking from a parking garage is a big draw.

ALL OVER THE PLACE: Eric Shafer, right, 30, who grew up in Fargo and now lives in Austin, Texas, showed up at the Big Lake station in a furry bombardier hat, flip-flops and a necklace of coyote teeth. He left Austin on a train to California July 1 and has rarely gotten off the train since, traveling 3,000 miles and staying with relatives, friends and acquaintances he's met through an Internet site. He was one of the few who made the early-morning roundtrip from Big Lake to Minneapolis and back.