Terminal 1–Lindbergh station

The Terminal 1–Lindbergh station is a light rail station on the Metro Blue Line. It is the only underground station on the Blue Line and is located 69 feet (21 m) below ground level at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.[1] It is a center-platform station that is accessed by escalator or elevator. Service began at the site when the second phase of the Blue Line opened on December 4, 2004.

Terminal 1–Lindbergh
Metro light rail station
Location	6450 Glumack Drive
Coordinates	44°52′52″N 93°12′21″W
Owned by	Metro Transit
Line(s)	Blue Line
Platforms	Island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	MSP Airport Trams Route 54
Construction
Structure type	Subway
Depth	69 feet (21 m)
Parking	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	Airport zone: Free service to Terminal 2–Humphrey, standard fare to other stations.
History
Opened	December 4, 2004
Services
Preceding station Metro Following station Fort Snelling toward Target Field Blue Line Terminal 2–Humphrey toward Mall of America
Other services
Preceding station Metro Following station Terminal 2–Humphrey toward Mall of America Riverview Corridor Fort Snelling toward Saint Paul Union Depot

The location of this station directly below a major airport caused challenges for its designers. The tunnel and the station both had to be carefully designed to meet Federal Aviation Administration safety requirements. Passengers can access this station from the transit center in the "Hub Building", which is reached by taking the Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport Trams, which is a people mover from the tram-level of the main terminal.[2]

This station was excavated after the two main tunnel tubes were constructed with a tunnel boring machine (though cut and cover was used near the ends of the tunnels).[1] During the excavation of the tunnels, a buried river valley was encountered a few hundred feet south of the station. The walls of the station are painted to look like an outcrop of Saint Peter Sandstone through which the tunnels have been bored. A large installation on the ceiling of this station is meant to look like an aircraft wing.

Lindbergh Station is unheated, but maintains a temperature of roughly 50–60 °F (10–15 °C) year-round because of its underground location. Small spot heaters are not available at this location as they were never installed; the small press buttons actually do nothing.

Service between this station and Humphrey Terminal is free to passengers and operates 24-hours a day.[2] The Blue Line is the main mechanism for travelers to transfer between terminals.[2]