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Saint Paul Union Depot

Saint Paul Union Depot is a historic railroad station and intermodal transit hub in the Lowertown neighborhood of the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It serves light rail, intercity rail, intercity bus, and local bus services.

Union Depot
Saint Paul, MN
Left to right from top:facade of the head house, waiting room, concourse, inside of the headhouse, Entrance from lower parking ramp with ticket stations for Jefferson Lines and Amtrak
General information
Location214 Fourth Street East
Saint Paul, Minnesota
United States
Coordinates44°56′52″N 93°5′10″W / 44.94778°N 93.08611°W / 44.94778; -93.08611
Owned byRamsey County Regional Railroad Authority
Operated byJones Lang LaSalle[1]
Line(s)CP Merriam Park Subdivision
Platforms9 historically
3 currently
Tracks18 historically
2 currently
Bus routes Metro Transit: 3, 16, 21, 54, 63, 70, 94, 262, 350, 351, 361, 364, 417
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority: 480, 484, 489
Bus stands6
Bus operators Metro Transit
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority
Jefferson Lines
Greyhound Lines
Megabus
Construction
Parking12 short-term and 1,000 long-term parking spaces
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: MSP
Websiteuniondepot.org
History
OpenedOriginal depot: 1881
Current structure built 1917–1923
Rebuilt2011
Passengers
FY 202142,662[2] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
St. Cloud
toward Seattle or Portland
Empire Builder Red Wing
toward Chicago
Preceding station Metro Following station
Central Green Line Terminus
Former services
Preceding station Burlington Route Following station
Minneapolis
Terminus
Minneapolis – Chicago Prescott
toward Chicago
Preceding station Chicago and North Western Railway Following station
Minneapolis
Terminus
Chicago – Minneapolis via Milwaukee Lake Elmo
toward Chicago
Chicago – Minneapolis via Madison
Minneapolis – Ashland Lake Elmo
toward Ashland
Mendota, MN
toward Omaha
Omaha – Minneapolis Minneapolis
Terminus
Preceding station Chicago Great Western Railway Following station
South St. Paul Main Line Minneapolis
Terminus
Preceding station Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Following station
Rosemount
toward Teague
TeagueMinneapolis  Minneapolis
Terminus
Minneapolis
Terminus
Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway Rosemount
toward Burlington
Preceding station Great Northern Railway Following station
Minneapolis
toward Seattle
Main Line Terminus
Terminus St. Paul – Duluth Minneapolis
toward Duluth
Preceding station Milwaukee Road Following station
Minneapolis
towards Seattle or Tacoma
Main Line Langdon
towards Chicago
Minneapolis
Terminus
Minneapolis – Calmar Mendota
towards Calmar
Preceding station Northern Pacific Railway Following station
Minneapolis
toward Seattle or Tacoma
Main Line Terminus
Minneapolis
toward Winnipeg
Winnipeg – St. Paul
Minneapolis
Terminus
Minneapolis – Duluth Gloster
toward Duluth
Preceding station Soo Line Following station
Minneapolis
Terminus
MinneapolisSault Ste. Marie New Brighton
toward Sault Ste. Marie
Future services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Terminus Great River Red Wing
toward Chicago
Union Depot
Location214 Fourth Street East
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Coordinates44°56′52″N 93°5′10″W / 44.94778°N 93.08611°W / 44.94778; -93.08611Coordinates: 44°56′52″N 93°5′10″W / 44.94778°N 93.08611°W / 44.94778; -93.08611
Built1917
ArchitectCharles Sumner Frost
Architectural styleClassical Revival
Part ofLowertown Historic District (ID83000935)
NRHP reference No.74001040[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 18, 1974
Designated CPFebruary 21, 1983
Location
Union Depot
Saint Paul, MN
Location in Minnesota
Union Depot
Saint Paul, MN
Location in United States

It is the eastern terminus for the METRO Green Line light rail line, with the stop located outside the station's headhouse. It is also the Twin Cities' stop for Amtrak, the national intercity railroad service. In addition to rail, Union Depot also serves Metro Transit, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA), Jefferson Lines, Greyhound Lines, and Megabus.

The headhouse, located at the 4th Street entrance, was designed by architect Charles Sumner Frost and is neoclassical in style. The concourse and the waiting room that extend over the tracks are viewed as a great architectural achievements. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It is also a contributing property to the Lowertown Historic District.[4]

In addition to its transit uses, Union Depot also contains a Hertz rental car location, coffee shop, restaurant, a bike shop, offices, a museum, and loft condominiums.[5]

History

Original Union Depot

 
 
The original depot before 1886 (top) and in 1890 (bottom)

There have been two Union Depots in Saint Paul. The first was completed in 1881, and combined the services of several different railroads into one building (hence the "union"; see Union station). In 1888 the old station had its peak year, handling eight million passengers. That year, about 150 trains departed daily.[citation needed] Around this time, the building was remodeled with a taller central tower and other alterations to the roofline. This station burned in 1915.

Current building

The current structure was started in 1917 but was not completed until 1923 because World War I caused construction to halt for several years.

During its heyday, the depot hosted the passenger trains of nine railroads, and more than 20 million pieces of mail passed through the station to the neighboring St. Paul Central Downtown Post Office annually. At its peak in the 1920s, there were 282 train movements daily. The waiting room stood atop nine platforms serving 18 tracks; the eight northern ones closest to the headhouse were stub-end tracks, while the other ten ran through. However, track ownership and trackage rights west of the station meant that most trains operated as though the station was a stub terminal. These trains, when they were intended to continue beyond the station, instead backed up to a wye just to the east to get to other main lines.[6]

The Saint Paul Union Depot Company controlled 9.24 miles (14.87 km) of St. Paul trackage and terminal facilities, including the depot building. The company was operated in tandem with the Minnesota Transfer Railway Company, with effective control of both properties exercised by the same board, composed of representatives of the nine tenants.[7]

Train ridership began to erode in the 1920s as the automobile took hold and airlines began to operate. The railroads sought ways stem the flow of passengers and compete with these new forms of transportation. As the Great Depression unfolded, more aggressive moves were required. The streamliner era in the United States began in 1934 with the introduction of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy's Zephyr. After making a "Dawn-to-Dusk Dash" from Chicago to Denver, Colorado, the CB&Q's interest soon turned to the Twin Cities run. A demonstration run was completed in 6 hours and 4 minutes, including six one-minute stops.[8] Other railroads were soon busy investigating how to run faster trains to Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

 
William Crooks locomotive being set up as a static display in the station's waiting room in 1954. The engine remained on display there until 1975, when it was moved to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth.

The first locomotive to run in Minnesota, the William Crooks, was displayed at the depot from 1955 until the station's 1971 closure, after which it was moved to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth.

Early high-speed trains

On January 2, 1935, high-speed express service to Chicago was introduced on the Chicago and North Western Railway's 400, cutting the scheduled time between the two cities from about 10 hours down to 7. Time dubbed the 400, "the fastest train scheduled on the American Continent, fastest in all the world on a stretch over 200 mi."[9] The C&NW beat two other railroads which had been planning 6½ hour service to begin in the spring. The Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha and the Burlington Route's Twin Cities Zephyr were introduced with 6½ hour service a few months later at the same time, and C&NW matched their schedules.[8][10]

The Burlington Zephyrs were the first streamlined diesel-electric trains to serve the Twin Cities, and originally ran in an articulated configuration. The 400 (now renamed the Twin Cities 400) followed in 1939, but using more conventional trucks and couplers to link passenger cars together. The Hiawatha had always been powered by a streamlined (or, in the terminology of the Milwaukee Road, "speedlined") steam locomotive. The Twin Cities Zephyrs added a second set of trains daily in 1936, running the Morning Zephyr and Afternoon Zephyr from each terminal. The Hiawatha added a second set of trains in 1939, and the Morning Hiawatha and Afternoon Hiawatha each provided daily service from Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago.

The Morning Hiawatha may have held the record as the world's fastest steam train on two or more measures: The 78.3 miles (126.0 km) run from Sparta to Portage, Wisconsin was scheduled for 58 minutes—an average of 81 miles per hour (130 km/h). Speeds up to and above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) were achieved on a daily basis, and the powerful Milwaukee Road class F7 engines (designed for a "reserve speed" of 125 miles per hour (201 km/h)) likely ran more miles at or above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) than any other steam locomotives in history.[11]

Burlington's diesel Zephyrs were also very fast, and they had to be—the Zephyr route was about 20 miles (32 km) longer than the competition. In southwestern Wisconsin, a stretch of track between stations required an average speed of 84.4 miles per hour (135.8 km/h).

Eventually, the Hiawathas, Zephyrs, and the 400 ran 6¼-hour service between St. Paul and Chicago, and for a time the Morning Zephyr from Chicago reached St. Paul in six hours flat.[12] In the 1950s, the federal government began imposing stricter rules for high-speed operation, and expensive advanced signaling was installed along the routes to the Twin Cities, though trains generally traveled a maximum of 90 to 100 mph (140 to 160 km/h). Unable to keep up with an increasing automobile speeds on an improving road network and other factors that kept passengers away from trains, train ridership declined and the five daily fast trains became unprofitable.

Other notable trains to serve the depot

  • Twin Star Rocket (Rock Island Railroad: Minneapolis/St. Paul - Houston)
  • Gopher and Badger (Great Northern Railway: Minneapolis/St. Paul - Duluth/Superior)
  • North Coast Limited (Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy: Chicago - Seattle)
  • Western Star (Great Northern Railway: Chicago - Seattle and Portland)

End of service

The Twin Cities 400 was the first victim, ending service on July 23, 1963.

It was announced that when Amtrak formally took over most passenger service on May 1, 1971, it would consolidate its Twin Cities service in Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Great Northern Depot. Accordingly, the Burlington (later Burlington Northern) Zephyrs ended service on April 30, 1971, the same day the depot closed. The Afternoon Zephyr was the last train to serve the depot when it departed that evening bound for Minneapolis. At this time, this train was normally combined with the Empire Builder and North Coast Limited from Chicago to St. Paul, except on Fridays when it ran as a separate train. Since April 30 was a Friday, the Zephyr had the "honor" of being the last train to depart the station.[13]

Restoration and return of passenger service

 
Exterior of the station during renovation

Area boosters had long hoped that trains would return to the Union Depot, and plans gathered steam as the Blue Line light rail project in Minneapolis drew toward completion. Planners envisioned the depot being used for a restored Amtrak service along with Metro and Jefferson Lines buses.

A few businesses had occupied the headhouse since the halt of train service in 1971, while the United States Postal Service (USPS) took over the rear of the building. The concourse and waiting room were used for some postal service activities and storage. After lying dormant for several years in the 1970s, the train tracks were removed from the train deck and it was paved with a flat surface. It began to be used for staging semi-trailer trucks carrying mail to and from the neighboring Downtown St. Paul Central Post Office as well as USPS employee parking. A driveway ramp was sliced into the train deck at the intersection of Kellogg Boulevard and Broadway Street for USPS vehicles. In the early 2000s, the upper levels of the headhouse were converted into 33 2-story loft condominiums.[14]

 
Grand opening of the newly renovated waiting room

In 2005, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority secured funding to renovate the station as an intermodal transit hub served by Amtrak trains, Metro Transit light rail, and intercity bus lines.[15][16][17]

In June 2009, the Ramsey County Board approved purchasing the depot headhouse for $8.2 million, to serve as a METRO Green Line light rail station and for future passenger rail use.[18] In 2010, USPS moved most of the truck operations to a bulk mail processing center in Eagan, Minnesota, making way for rehabilitation of the depot as a rail hub. Demolition of the Postal Service building that blocked track access to the station began in mid-March 2011. The USPS ramp cut all the way across the train deck and blocked the ability for tracks to be installed, so the ramp was modified during restoration to make a roughly right-angle turn to access new bus platforms on the north end of the train deck while freeing up room for a few tracks to be restored on the south end.

The renovation was completed in late November 2012 at a cost of $243 million, of which $35 million was provided by the US government through the TIGER program.[19] The renovated station re-opened to the public on December 8, 2012.[15][16][17]

The first Amtrak train to service Saint Paul Union Depot was the westbound Empire Builder which stopped at the station at 11:30pm on May 7, 2014, 70 minutes late heading en route to Seattle and Portland. Officials welcomed the first passengers to depart the train at the depot.[20]


Special events

Since opening in late 2012,[15] the Depot has hosted a number of events including yoga classes, weddings, seasonal farmers markets, art galas, and holiday tree lighting ceremonies among other various public and private events.

In December 2014, for the first time in nearly 50 years, an active steam locomotive returned to St. Paul Union Depot. Milwaukee Road 261 and some historic passenger cars, decorated as the "North Pole Express" ran short excursions to and from the depot. It was determined to be an overwhelming success and has continued every year since (as of 2022). In 2014 and 2015 Canadian Pacific's traveling Holiday Train made a stop at the depot.

On December 9, 2017, Metro Transit and BNSF operated a "free to ride" Northstar Holiday Train between Big Lake and St. Paul Union Depot. The event continued in 2018 and 2019, before discontinuing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, as part of Union Pacific's "Great Race Across the Midwest" tour, Union Pacific 4014, made multiple stops at Union Depot for display before touring around other midwest states including Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Union Depot Train Days

 
Visitors to Union Depot tour equipment on display for "Train Days" in 2016.

Every year since 2014, the depot hosts a weekend of events named "Train Days" which showcases the history and future of railroad travel, 2014 and 2015 were advertised under Amtrak's "Nation Train Day" event. After "National Train Day" was discontinued in 2015, Union Depot rebranded the event as "Union Depot Train Days" beginning in 2016. Those in attendance are treated to model train layouts, indoor and outdoor exhibits, memorabilia vendors, photography events, and railroad equipment displays, some of which are open to public touring on the platform.[21] "Train Days" typically sees participation from area railroads and preservation organizations, including Amtrak, BNSF Railway, Canadian Pacific, Union Pacific, Operation Lifesaver, Lake Superior Railroad Museum, Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (and subsidiary organization Friends of the 261), Minnesota Transportation Museum, Great Northern Railway Historical Society, Twin Cities and Western Railroad, and others.

In 2014 and 2015, Union Depot hosted National Train Day events with various indoor displays and platform displays from the Minnesota Transportation Museum, Amtrak, BNSF and Friends of the 261.

In 2016 the depot hosted its first "Union Depot Train Days" to celebrate the building's 90th Anniversary. Various displays, vendors, and photographers were featured inside the depot. Outside featured numerous rail equipment, featuring Milwaukee Road 261, Amtrak's Exhibit Train, and Soo Line FP7a #2500, among others.[22]

 
Soo 2500 on display at St Paul Union Depot

On May 6, 2017, featured railroad equipment included Amtrak's veteran's locomotive, two Union Pacific locomotives, a TC&W locomotive, and Northern Pacific RPO #1102. NP RPO #1102 had the distinction of being the "Last Mail Train" as Train Day attendees had mail transported inside the car from Union Depot to Osceola, Wisconsin.[23]

On May 5, 2018, Minnesota Transportation Museum equipment along with Union Pacific's Chicago & Northwestern 'heritage' locomotive were on display. [24] Train Days 2019 featured Soo Line 700 from LSRM and Wisconsin & Southern E9-A 101 from the Friends of the 261. [25]

In 2020, "Train Days" was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but returned in person for 2021. Because "Train Days" was held on the anniversary of "D-Day" in 2021, Union Pacific & Canadian Pacific displayed special military commemorative locomotives alongside Milwaukee Road E9 32A & Amtrak 161, specially painted for Amtrak's 50th anniversary.

Train Days returns in 2022, featuring two restored SD45s from Duluth, GN 400 and NP 3617, MILW 32A along with multiple Friends of the 261 passenger cars, Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific heritage locomotives, an Amtrak ALC-42, a TC&W locomotive and some BNSF freight cars. [26]

Services

Amtrak

 
Empire Builder at Union Depot

Serving this station is the Empire Builder, named to honor Saint Paul-based mogul James J. Hill who constructed the Great Northern Railroad, and whose nickname was "The Empire Builder". Westbound trains head for Spokane, Washington and split there to serve both Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon; eastbound trains head for Chicago.

The Empire Builder originally stopped at the station from 1929 until 1971. In 1971, Amtrak consolidated all passenger rail service for the Twin Cities at the Great Northern Station in Minneapolis, and in 1978 moved to the Midway Station in Saint Paul, about halfway between the downtowns of the two cities.[27] Service returned to the Union Depot from Midway in 2014 after it was delayed for almost two years from the depot's initial grand re-opening in 2012 due to negotiations with the owners of the railroads (Canadian Pacific Railway, BNSF Railway, and Union Pacific Railroad) in the area[28] and the construction of new complex signals on the Merriam Park Subdivision.[29]

Westbound trains arrive from Chicago in the middle of the night, usually around 10:30 p.m. Eastbound trains arrive from Seattle or Portland around breakfast time. Also included is an Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach to Duluth via Jefferson Lines. The station appears as St. Paul-Minneapolis in Amtrak timetables.

Light rail

 
Union Depot Light Rail Station

The depot serves as the Metro Green Line light rail line's eastern terminus. The Green Line runs between St. Paul and Minneapolis with its western terminus at Target Field station in the North Loop area of Downtown Minneapolis. The stop is in front of the headhouse, rather than at a platform under the waiting room.

The line opened on June 14, 2014. Utility relocation work in preparation for the Green Line began in front of the depot on 4th Street in August 2009, well before the line received final funding or approval.[30] Track was laid from 2011 to 2012.[31] While the Union Depot is the eastern terminus of service, the tracks continue beyond the station to the line's maintenance facility.[32]

Intercity bus service

  • Greyhound Lines arrived at Saint Paul Union Depot in March 2014 after initially pulling out of the project two years prior.[33] Greyhound offers at least six coach bus departures a day and additional weekend service.
  • Jefferson Lines relocated from Midway Station to Saint Paul Union Depot in 2013.[34]
  • Megabus[35]

Local and regional bus service

Planned services

The current vision for the depot is to create a hub for intercity connections for local and regional bus service, light rail, and commuter rail.

Light rail and bus rapid transit

Bus rapid transit (BRT) has been selected for the Rush Line Corridor between St. Paul and White Bear Lake. The southern terminus of this route is planned to be at St. Paul Union Depot. The Gateway Corridor (now called the Gold Line) is also planned to be bus rapid transit and will operate between St. Paul and Woodbury. The Red Rock Corridor has also been proposed as a BRT service and eventually being upgraded to commuter rail, however plans are on hold as ridership on the current bus routes in this corridor are low.

The Riverview Corridor is planned to be a LRT/modern streetcar hybrid operating between St. Paul Union Depot and Mall of America. Riverview Corridor trains would share tracks and stations with the Metro Green Line between Central Station and Union Depot Station.

Regional rail

Numerous existing freight rail lines branch out from St. Paul Union Depot and could be upgraded and utilized by regional passenger trains. Currently MnDOT has studied regional rail from St. Paul Union Depot to Mankato, Northfield, and Minneapolis (continuing further west as a through-service). In 2010, the Minnesota Department of Transportation also released a plan for regional rail stretching out from the Twin Cities to rural Minnesota and neighboring states, and at least some of the lines would run to Saint Paul.[37]

Intercity rail

For years, the only intercity rail that serves the Twin Cities has been the overnight Empire Builder. However, Amtrak now plans to introduce a new train called the Great River, which will provide daily service between Union Depot and Chicago, in addition to the Empire Builder. The Great River will be an extension of the Hiawatha Service, the successor to the North Star and the Twin Cities Hiawatha, and is expected to begin service in summer of 2023.

It is also being proposed to extend the route to Minneapolis Target Field Station, and St. Cloud later on.

High-speed rail

New trains running at speeds above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) to Chicago have also been discussed since at least 1991. The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative (MWRRI), led by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, has proposed a link to the Twin Cities running at up to 110 mph (180 km/h). The planned schedule time to Saint Paul would be just 5½ hours. Others including the French national railway SNCF, which operates the TGV network, have proposed trains running at up to 220 miles per hour (350 km/h).[38][39]

Local significance

 
 
Frieze detailing on the waiting room walls

Prior to the station's reopening in December 2012, Josh Collins, a spokesman for Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority, referred to the potential of the station to be "the living room of Saint Paul."[40]

Architecture

The entrance to Union Depot, the headhouse, is considered a somewhat severe example of neoclassical architecture, with a robust aesthetic. A series of tall Doric columns line the front façade. The concourse and the waiting room that extends out to the platforms, where trains once rolled in, is considered to be one of the great architectural achievements in the city. Charles Frost designed the station.[40]

The waiting room is flooded with natural light from skylights. These skylights were blackened during the Second World War, but restored for the 2012 re-opening.[40]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places[40] in 1974.

The restoration and new addition were designed by Hammel, Green and Abrahamson Architects & Engineers (HGA).

Railway mapping

Milepost for rail lines that originated in St. Paul, such as the Great Northern and Northern Pacific, had used the depot as milepost 0. This is still evident in timetables and mileposts used by the BNSF Railway[41]

See also

Other rail stations in the Twin Cities

Regional and enhanced-speed train proposals

Other initially abandoned stations

References

  1. ^ . Ramsey County Regional Rail News. Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority. July 25, 2012. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  2. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2021: State of Minnesota" (PDF). Amtrak. August 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  3. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 15, 2006.
  4. ^ "Lowertown Historic District". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  5. ^ Browender, Wolfie (March 14, 2018). "Living in Union Depot". streets.mn. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  6. ^ "Saint Paul Union Depot Analysis Final Report" (PDF). Retrieved February 4, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Saint Paul Union Depot Company". Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Scribbins, Jim (2007) [1970]. The Hiawatha Story. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5003-3.
  9. ^ "400". Time Magazine Archive. January 14, 1935. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2007.
  10. ^ Scribbins, Jim (2008) [1982]. The 400 Story. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5449-9.
  11. ^ Benn, Bryan. . Archived from the original on April 20, 2006. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  12. ^ "Heritage from the Gods: Burlington's new 8 car Twin Zephyrs" (PDF). Burlington Route. 1937. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  13. ^ Steve Glischinski, eyewitness account at depot on April 30, 1971.
  14. ^ "Union Depot Lofts". StPaulCondos.com. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c Shenoy, Rupa (December 8, 2012). "Party marks reopening of St. Paul's Union Depot". minnesota.cbslocal.com. MediaNews Group. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  16. ^ a b Melo, Frederick (December 8, 2012). "Thousands Visit St. Paul's Newly Renovated Union Depot". minnesota.cbslocal.com. MediaNews Group. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  17. ^ a b . www.stpauluniondepot.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  18. ^ "St. Paul Union Depot purchase approved". Railway Age. June 4, 2009. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
  19. ^ "USDOT approves TIGER grant agreement for Minnesota's Union Depot". www.progressiverailroading.com. Progressive Railroading. November 18, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  20. ^ Melo, Fredrick (May 7, 2014). "After 43 years, St. Paul's Union Depot marks return of passenger trains". twincitiespress.com. MediaNews Group. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  21. ^ "Train Days 2021".
  22. ^ "Laker Rail Program & Friday Night Photoshoot".
  23. ^ "Railroad Photo Sessions - Union Depot St. Paul / Osceola". Eventbrite. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  24. ^ "LakerRail 2018". Eventbrite. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  25. ^ "LakerRail 2019 Railroad Photography Show and Night Photo Session". Eventbrite. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  26. ^ "Union Depot Train Days". UnionDepot. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  27. ^ Melo, Fredrick (May 7, 2014). "After 43 years, St. Paul's Union Depot marks return of passenger trains". twincitiespress.com. MediaNews Group. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  28. ^ Gilbert, Curtis (April 2, 2014). "Amtrak sets May 7 return to St. Paul's Union Depot". www.mprnews. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  29. ^ "Amtrak's arrival delayed. Union Depot welcomes Jefferson Bus Lines, whose chair now runs MnDOT". twincites.com. MediaNews Group. January 14, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  30. ^ Yuen, Laura (August 10, 2010). "St. Paul's Lowertown dealing with light rail construction headaches". minnesota.publicradio.com. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  31. ^ "Construction Update: Downtown St. Paul - Week of September 20, 2010". myemail.constantcontact.com. Central Corridor Light Rail Transit. September 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  32. ^ . Central Corridor. Metropolitan Council. July 20, 2010. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  33. ^ Melo, Fredrick (March 10, 2014). "Greyhound coming to St. Paul's Union Depot". twincitiespress.com. MediaNews Group. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  34. ^ "Union Depot Welcomes Inner City Bus Service". minnesota.cbslocal.com. January 14, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  35. ^ Melo, Fredrick (January 23, 2014). "Megabus coming to St. Paul's Union Depot". twincitiespress.com. MediaNews Group. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  36. ^ "These routes will change on Dec. 8". Connect. Metro Transit. December 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  37. ^ Cambridge Systematics, Inc., Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc., and TKDA, Inc. (December 2009). "Minnesota Comprehensive Statewide Freight and Passenger Rail Plan (Draft Final Report)" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 8, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  38. ^ "Midwest" (PDF). SNCF. September 14, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  39. ^ Freemark, Yonah (September 19, 2009). "SNCF Proposes Development of High-Speed Rail in Midwest, Texas, Florida, and California Corridors". The Transport Politic. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  40. ^ a b c d Duchschere, Kevin (December 5, 2012). "A new day is coming for St. Paul's Union Depot". Star Tribune. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
  41. ^ BNSF Twin Cities Division Timetable No. 2. November 17, 2004. Note: The Midway Subdivision and St. Paul Subdivision both begin at Seventh Street junction. The Staples Subdivision (ex combined GN and NP) and Wayzata Subdivision (ex GN) continue the numbering.

Sources

  • Black, Sam (December 10, 2009). "Mortenson team picked for $150M St. Paul Union Depot transit hub". Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved December 16, 2009.
  • Diers, John (1913). St. Paul Union Depot. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978 0 8166 5610 3
  • Mack, Doug. (August 11, 2004). Professor Yeti. Retrieved June 12, 2005.
  • Nelson, Tim (June 7, 2005). "Post office proposes Eagan move". Saint Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved June 12, 2005.

External links

  • Official Union Depot website
  • St. Paul-Minneapolis – Amtrak
  • St. Paul-Minneapolis – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
  • St. Paul Union Depot in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia
  • Back On Track: The Rebirth of St. Paul's Union Depot Ramsey County (YouTube). 2014.
  • Article from Railway Age Gazette (1915) with original floor plan

saint, paul, union, depot, other, uses, spud, disambiguation, historic, railroad, station, intermodal, transit, lowertown, neighborhood, city, saint, paul, minnesota, united, states, serves, light, rail, intercity, rail, intercity, local, services, union, depo. For other uses see Spud disambiguation Saint Paul Union Depot is a historic railroad station and intermodal transit hub in the Lowertown neighborhood of the city of Saint Paul Minnesota United States It serves light rail intercity rail intercity bus and local bus services Union DepotSaint Paul MNLeft to right from top facade of the head house waiting room concourse inside of the headhouse Entrance from lower parking ramp with ticket stations for Jefferson Lines and AmtrakGeneral informationLocation214 Fourth Street EastSaint Paul MinnesotaUnited StatesCoordinates44 56 52 N 93 5 10 W 44 94778 N 93 08611 W 44 94778 93 08611Owned byRamsey County Regional Railroad AuthorityOperated byJones Lang LaSalle 1 Line s CP Merriam Park SubdivisionPlatforms9 historically3 currentlyTracks18 historically2 currentlyBus routesMetro Transit 3 16 21 54 63 70 94 262 350 351 361 364 417 Minnesota Valley Transit Authority 480 484 489Bus stands6Bus operatorsMetro Transit Minnesota Valley Transit Authority Jefferson Lines Greyhound Lines MegabusConstructionParking12 short term and 1 000 long term parking spacesBicycle facilitiesYesAccessibleYesOther informationStation codeAmtrak MSPWebsiteuniondepot wbr orgHistoryOpenedOriginal depot 1881Current structure built 1917 1923Rebuilt2011PassengersFY 202142 662 2 Amtrak ServicesPreceding station Amtrak Following stationSt Cloudtoward Seattle or Portland Empire Builder Red Wingtoward ChicagoPreceding station Metro Following stationCentraltoward Target Field Green Line TerminusFormer servicesPreceding station Burlington Route Following stationMinneapolisTerminus Minneapolis Chicago Prescotttoward ChicagoPreceding station Chicago and North Western Railway Following stationMinneapolisTerminus Chicago Minneapolis via Milwaukee Lake Elmotoward ChicagoChicago Minneapolis via MadisonMinneapolis Ashland Lake Elmotoward AshlandMendota MNtoward Omaha Omaha Minneapolis MinneapolisTerminusPreceding station Chicago Great Western Railway Following stationSouth St Paultoward Kansas City Main Line MinneapolisTerminusPreceding station Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Following stationRosemounttoward Teague Teague Minneapolis MinneapolisTerminusMinneapolisTerminus Burlington Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway Rosemounttoward BurlingtonPreceding station Great Northern Railway Following stationMinneapolistoward Seattle Main Line TerminusTerminus St Paul Duluth Minneapolistoward DuluthPreceding station Milwaukee Road Following stationMinneapolistowards Seattle or Tacoma Main Line Langdontowards ChicagoMinneapolisTerminus Minneapolis Calmar Mendotatowards CalmarPreceding station Northern Pacific Railway Following stationMinneapolistoward Seattle or Tacoma Main Line TerminusMinneapolistoward Winnipeg Winnipeg St PaulMinneapolisTerminus Minneapolis Duluth Glostertoward DuluthPreceding station Soo Line Following stationMinneapolisTerminus Minneapolis Sault Ste Marie New Brightontoward Sault Ste MarieFuture servicesPreceding station Amtrak Following stationTerminus Great River Red Wingtoward ChicagoUnion DepotU S National Register of Historic PlacesU S Historic districtContributing propertyLocation214 Fourth Street EastSaint Paul MinnesotaCoordinates44 56 52 N 93 5 10 W 44 94778 N 93 08611 W 44 94778 93 08611 Coordinates 44 56 52 N 93 5 10 W 44 94778 N 93 08611 W 44 94778 93 08611Built1917ArchitectCharles Sumner FrostArchitectural styleClassical RevivalPart ofLowertown Historic District ID83000935 NRHP reference No 74001040 3 Significant datesAdded to NRHPDecember 18 1974Designated CPFebruary 21 1983LocationUnion DepotSaint Paul MNLocation in MinnesotaShow map of MinnesotaUnion DepotSaint Paul MNLocation in United StatesShow map of the United StatesIt is the eastern terminus for the METRO Green Line light rail line with the stop located outside the station s headhouse It is also the Twin Cities stop for Amtrak the national intercity railroad service In addition to rail Union Depot also serves Metro Transit Minnesota Valley Transit Authority MVTA Jefferson Lines Greyhound Lines and Megabus The headhouse located at the 4th Street entrance was designed by architect Charles Sumner Frost and is neoclassical in style The concourse and the waiting room that extend over the tracks are viewed as a great architectural achievements The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 It is also a contributing property to the Lowertown Historic District 4 In addition to its transit uses Union Depot also contains a Hertz rental car location coffee shop restaurant a bike shop offices a museum and loft condominiums 5 Contents 1 History 1 1 Original Union Depot 1 2 Current building 1 3 Early high speed trains 1 3 1 Other notable trains to serve the depot 1 4 End of service 1 5 Restoration and return of passenger service 2 Special events 2 1 Union Depot Train Days 3 Services 3 1 Amtrak 3 2 Light rail 3 3 Intercity bus service 3 4 Local and regional bus service 4 Planned services 4 1 Light rail and bus rapid transit 4 2 Regional rail 4 3 Intercity rail 4 3 1 High speed rail 5 Local significance 5 1 Architecture 5 2 Railway mapping 6 See also 6 1 Other rail stations in the Twin Cities 6 2 Regional and enhanced speed train proposals 6 3 Other initially abandoned stations 7 References 7 1 Sources 8 External linksHistory EditOriginal Union Depot Edit The original depot before 1886 top and in 1890 bottom There have been two Union Depots in Saint Paul The first was completed in 1881 and combined the services of several different railroads into one building hence the union see Union station In 1888 the old station had its peak year handling eight million passengers That year about 150 trains departed daily citation needed Around this time the building was remodeled with a taller central tower and other alterations to the roofline This station burned in 1915 Current building Edit The current structure was started in 1917 but was not completed until 1923 because World War I caused construction to halt for several years During its heyday the depot hosted the passenger trains of nine railroads and more than 20 million pieces of mail passed through the station to the neighboring St Paul Central Downtown Post Office annually At its peak in the 1920s there were 282 train movements daily The waiting room stood atop nine platforms serving 18 tracks the eight northern ones closest to the headhouse were stub end tracks while the other ten ran through However track ownership and trackage rights west of the station meant that most trains operated as though the station was a stub terminal These trains when they were intended to continue beyond the station instead backed up to a wye just to the east to get to other main lines 6 The Saint Paul Union Depot Company controlled 9 24 miles 14 87 km of St Paul trackage and terminal facilities including the depot building The company was operated in tandem with the Minnesota Transfer Railway Company with effective control of both properties exercised by the same board composed of representatives of the nine tenants 7 Train ridership began to erode in the 1920s as the automobile took hold and airlines began to operate The railroads sought ways stem the flow of passengers and compete with these new forms of transportation As the Great Depression unfolded more aggressive moves were required The streamliner era in the United States began in 1934 with the introduction of the Chicago Burlington and Quincy s Zephyr After making a Dawn to Dusk Dash from Chicago to Denver Colorado the CB amp Q s interest soon turned to the Twin Cities run A demonstration run was completed in 6 hours and 4 minutes including six one minute stops 8 Other railroads were soon busy investigating how to run faster trains to Saint Paul and Minneapolis William Crooks locomotive being set up as a static display in the station s waiting room in 1954 The engine remained on display there until 1975 when it was moved to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth The first locomotive to run in Minnesota the William Crooks was displayed at the depot from 1955 until the station s 1971 closure after which it was moved to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth Early high speed trains Edit On January 2 1935 high speed express service to Chicago was introduced on the Chicago and North Western Railway s 400 cutting the scheduled time between the two cities from about 10 hours down to 7 Time dubbed the 400 the fastest train scheduled on the American Continent fastest in all the world on a stretch over 200 mi 9 The C amp NW beat two other railroads which had been planning 6 hour service to begin in the spring The Milwaukee Road s Hiawatha and the Burlington Route s Twin Cities Zephyr were introduced with 6 hour service a few months later at the same time and C amp NW matched their schedules 8 10 The Burlington Zephyrs were the first streamlined diesel electric trains to serve the Twin Cities and originally ran in an articulated configuration The 400 now renamed the Twin Cities 400 followed in 1939 but using more conventional trucks and couplers to link passenger cars together The Hiawatha had always been powered by a streamlined or in the terminology of the Milwaukee Road speedlined steam locomotive The Twin Cities Zephyrs added a second set of trains daily in 1936 running the Morning Zephyr and Afternoon Zephyr from each terminal The Hiawatha added a second set of trains in 1939 and the Morning Hiawatha and Afternoon Hiawatha each provided daily service from Minneapolis St Paul and Chicago The Morning Hiawatha may have held the record as the world s fastest steam train on two or more measures The 78 3 miles 126 0 km run from Sparta to Portage Wisconsin was scheduled for 58 minutes an average of 81 miles per hour 130 km h Speeds up to and above 100 miles per hour 160 km h were achieved on a daily basis and the powerful Milwaukee Road class F7 engines designed for a reserve speed of 125 miles per hour 201 km h likely ran more miles at or above 100 miles per hour 160 km h than any other steam locomotives in history 11 Burlington s diesel Zephyrs were also very fast and they had to be the Zephyr route was about 20 miles 32 km longer than the competition In southwestern Wisconsin a stretch of track between stations required an average speed of 84 4 miles per hour 135 8 km h Eventually the Hiawathas Zephyrs and the 400 ran 6 hour service between St Paul and Chicago and for a time the Morning Zephyr from Chicago reached St Paul in six hours flat 12 In the 1950s the federal government began imposing stricter rules for high speed operation and expensive advanced signaling was installed along the routes to the Twin Cities though trains generally traveled a maximum of 90 to 100 mph 140 to 160 km h Unable to keep up with an increasing automobile speeds on an improving road network and other factors that kept passengers away from trains train ridership declined and the five daily fast trains became unprofitable Other notable trains to serve the depot Edit Twin Star Rocket Rock Island Railroad Minneapolis St Paul Houston Gopher and Badger Great Northern Railway Minneapolis St Paul Duluth Superior North Coast Limited Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago Burlington amp Quincy Chicago Seattle Western Star Great Northern Railway Chicago Seattle and Portland End of service Edit The Twin Cities 400 was the first victim ending service on July 23 1963 It was announced that when Amtrak formally took over most passenger service on May 1 1971 it would consolidate its Twin Cities service in Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Great Northern Depot Accordingly the Burlington later Burlington Northern Zephyrs ended service on April 30 1971 the same day the depot closed The Afternoon Zephyr was the last train to serve the depot when it departed that evening bound for Minneapolis At this time this train was normally combined with the Empire Builder and North Coast Limited from Chicago to St Paul except on Fridays when it ran as a separate train Since April 30 was a Friday the Zephyr had the honor of being the last train to depart the station 13 Restoration and return of passenger service Edit Exterior of the station during renovation Area boosters had long hoped that trains would return to the Union Depot and plans gathered steam as the Blue Line light rail project in Minneapolis drew toward completion Planners envisioned the depot being used for a restored Amtrak service along with Metro and Jefferson Lines buses A few businesses had occupied the headhouse since the halt of train service in 1971 while the United States Postal Service USPS took over the rear of the building The concourse and waiting room were used for some postal service activities and storage After lying dormant for several years in the 1970s the train tracks were removed from the train deck and it was paved with a flat surface It began to be used for staging semi trailer trucks carrying mail to and from the neighboring Downtown St Paul Central Post Office as well as USPS employee parking A driveway ramp was sliced into the train deck at the intersection of Kellogg Boulevard and Broadway Street for USPS vehicles In the early 2000s the upper levels of the headhouse were converted into 33 2 story loft condominiums 14 Grand opening of the newly renovated waiting room In 2005 the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority secured funding to renovate the station as an intermodal transit hub served by Amtrak trains Metro Transit light rail and intercity bus lines 15 16 17 In June 2009 the Ramsey County Board approved purchasing the depot headhouse for 8 2 million to serve as a METRO Green Line light rail station and for future passenger rail use 18 In 2010 USPS moved most of the truck operations to a bulk mail processing center in Eagan Minnesota making way for rehabilitation of the depot as a rail hub Demolition of the Postal Service building that blocked track access to the station began in mid March 2011 The USPS ramp cut all the way across the train deck and blocked the ability for tracks to be installed so the ramp was modified during restoration to make a roughly right angle turn to access new bus platforms on the north end of the train deck while freeing up room for a few tracks to be restored on the south end The renovation was completed in late November 2012 at a cost of 243 million of which 35 million was provided by the US government through the TIGER program 19 The renovated station re opened to the public on December 8 2012 15 16 17 The first Amtrak train to service Saint Paul Union Depot was the westbound Empire Builder which stopped at the station at 11 30pm on May 7 2014 70 minutes late heading en route to Seattle and Portland Officials welcomed the first passengers to depart the train at the depot 20 Special events EditSince opening in late 2012 15 the Depot has hosted a number of events including yoga classes weddings seasonal farmers markets art galas and holiday tree lighting ceremonies among other various public and private events In December 2014 for the first time in nearly 50 years an active steam locomotive returned to St Paul Union Depot Milwaukee Road 261 and some historic passenger cars decorated as the North Pole Express ran short excursions to and from the depot It was determined to be an overwhelming success and has continued every year since as of 2022 In 2014 and 2015 Canadian Pacific s traveling Holiday Train made a stop at the depot On December 9 2017 Metro Transit and BNSF operated a free to ride Northstar Holiday Train between Big Lake and St Paul Union Depot The event continued in 2018 and 2019 before discontinuing in 2020 due to the COVID 19 pandemic In 2019 as part of Union Pacific s Great Race Across the Midwest tour Union Pacific 4014 made multiple stops at Union Depot for display before touring around other midwest states including Iowa Minnesota and Wisconsin Union Depot Train Days Edit Visitors to Union Depot tour equipment on display for Train Days in 2016 Every year since 2014 the depot hosts a weekend of events named Train Days which showcases the history and future of railroad travel 2014 and 2015 were advertised under Amtrak s Nation Train Day event After National Train Day was discontinued in 2015 Union Depot rebranded the event as Union Depot Train Days beginning in 2016 Those in attendance are treated to model train layouts indoor and outdoor exhibits memorabilia vendors photography events and railroad equipment displays some of which are open to public touring on the platform 21 Train Days typically sees participation from area railroads and preservation organizations including Amtrak BNSF Railway Canadian Pacific Union Pacific Operation Lifesaver Lake Superior Railroad Museum Railroading Heritage of Midwest America and subsidiary organization Friends of the 261 Minnesota Transportation Museum Great Northern Railway Historical Society Twin Cities and Western Railroad and others In 2014 and 2015 Union Depot hosted National Train Day events with various indoor displays and platform displays from the Minnesota Transportation Museum Amtrak BNSF and Friends of the 261 In 2016 the depot hosted its first Union Depot Train Days to celebrate the building s 90th Anniversary Various displays vendors and photographers were featured inside the depot Outside featured numerous rail equipment featuring Milwaukee Road 261 Amtrak s Exhibit Train and Soo Line FP7a 2500 among others 22 Soo 2500 on display at St Paul Union Depot On May 6 2017 featured railroad equipment included Amtrak s veteran s locomotive two Union Pacific locomotives a TC amp W locomotive and Northern Pacific RPO 1102 NP RPO 1102 had the distinction of being the Last Mail Train as Train Day attendees had mail transported inside the car from Union Depot to Osceola Wisconsin 23 On May 5 2018 Minnesota Transportation Museum equipment along with Union Pacific s Chicago amp Northwestern heritage locomotive were on display 24 Train Days 2019 featured Soo Line 700 from LSRM and Wisconsin amp Southern E9 A 101 from the Friends of the 261 25 In 2020 Train Days was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic but returned in person for 2021 Because Train Days was held on the anniversary of D Day in 2021 Union Pacific amp Canadian Pacific displayed special military commemorative locomotives alongside Milwaukee Road E9 32A amp Amtrak 161 specially painted for Amtrak s 50th anniversary Train Days returns in 2022 featuring two restored SD45s from Duluth GN 400 and NP 3617 MILW 32A along with multiple Friends of the 261 passenger cars Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific heritage locomotives an Amtrak ALC 42 a TC amp W locomotive and some BNSF freight cars 26 Services EditAmtrak Edit Empire Builder at Union Depot Serving this station is the Empire Builder named to honor Saint Paul based mogul James J Hill who constructed the Great Northern Railroad and whose nickname was The Empire Builder Westbound trains head for Spokane Washington and split there to serve both Seattle Washington and Portland Oregon eastbound trains head for Chicago The Empire Builder originally stopped at the station from 1929 until 1971 In 1971 Amtrak consolidated all passenger rail service for the Twin Cities at the Great Northern Station in Minneapolis and in 1978 moved to the Midway Station in Saint Paul about halfway between the downtowns of the two cities 27 Service returned to the Union Depot from Midway in 2014 after it was delayed for almost two years from the depot s initial grand re opening in 2012 due to negotiations with the owners of the railroads Canadian Pacific Railway BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad in the area 28 and the construction of new complex signals on the Merriam Park Subdivision 29 Westbound trains arrive from Chicago in the middle of the night usually around 10 30 p m Eastbound trains arrive from Seattle or Portland around breakfast time Also included is an Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach to Duluth via Jefferson Lines The station appears as St Paul Minneapolis in Amtrak timetables Light rail Edit Union Depot Light Rail Station The depot serves as the Metro Green Line light rail line s eastern terminus The Green Line runs between St Paul and Minneapolis with its western terminus at Target Field station in the North Loop area of Downtown Minneapolis The stop is in front of the headhouse rather than at a platform under the waiting room The line opened on June 14 2014 Utility relocation work in preparation for the Green Line began in front of the depot on 4th Street in August 2009 well before the line received final funding or approval 30 Track was laid from 2011 to 2012 31 While the Union Depot is the eastern terminus of service the tracks continue beyond the station to the line s maintenance facility 32 Intercity bus service Edit Greyhound Lines arrived at Saint Paul Union Depot in March 2014 after initially pulling out of the project two years prior 33 Greyhound offers at least six coach bus departures a day and additional weekend service Jefferson Lines relocated from Midway Station to Saint Paul Union Depot in 2013 34 Megabus 35 Local and regional bus service Edit Metro Transit 3 16 21 54 63 70 94 262 350 351 361 364 and 417 Minnesota Valley Transit Authority 480 484 489 36 Planned services EditThe current vision for the depot is to create a hub for intercity connections for local and regional bus service light rail and commuter rail Light rail and bus rapid transit Edit Bus rapid transit BRT has been selected for the Rush Line Corridor between St Paul and White Bear Lake The southern terminus of this route is planned to be at St Paul Union Depot The Gateway Corridor now called the Gold Line is also planned to be bus rapid transit and will operate between St Paul and Woodbury The Red Rock Corridor has also been proposed as a BRT service and eventually being upgraded to commuter rail however plans are on hold as ridership on the current bus routes in this corridor are low The Riverview Corridor is planned to be a LRT modern streetcar hybrid operating between St Paul Union Depot and Mall of America Riverview Corridor trains would share tracks and stations with the Metro Green Line between Central Station and Union Depot Station Regional rail Edit Numerous existing freight rail lines branch out from St Paul Union Depot and could be upgraded and utilized by regional passenger trains Currently MnDOT has studied regional rail from St Paul Union Depot to Mankato Northfield and Minneapolis continuing further west as a through service In 2010 the Minnesota Department of Transportation also released a plan for regional rail stretching out from the Twin Cities to rural Minnesota and neighboring states and at least some of the lines would run to Saint Paul 37 Intercity rail Edit For years the only intercity rail that serves the Twin Cities has been the overnight Empire Builder However Amtrak now plans to introduce a new train called the Great River which will provide daily service between Union Depot and Chicago in addition to the Empire Builder The Great River will be an extension of the Hiawatha Service the successor to the North Star and the Twin Cities Hiawatha and is expected to begin service in summer of 2023 It is also being proposed to extend the route to Minneapolis Target Field Station and St Cloud later on High speed rail Edit New trains running at speeds above 100 miles per hour 160 km h to Chicago have also been discussed since at least 1991 The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative MWRRI led by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has proposed a link to the Twin Cities running at up to 110 mph 180 km h The planned schedule time to Saint Paul would be just 5 hours Others including the French national railway SNCF which operates the TGV network have proposed trains running at up to 220 miles per hour 350 km h 38 39 Local significance Edit Frieze detailing on the waiting room walls Prior to the station s reopening in December 2012 Josh Collins a spokesman for Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority referred to the potential of the station to be the living room of Saint Paul 40 Architecture Edit The entrance to Union Depot the headhouse is considered a somewhat severe example of neoclassical architecture with a robust aesthetic A series of tall Doric columns line the front facade The concourse and the waiting room that extends out to the platforms where trains once rolled in is considered to be one of the great architectural achievements in the city Charles Frost designed the station 40 The waiting room is flooded with natural light from skylights These skylights were blackened during the Second World War but restored for the 2012 re opening 40 The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places 40 in 1974 The restoration and new addition were designed by Hammel Green and Abrahamson Architects amp Engineers HGA Railway mapping Edit Milepost for rail lines that originated in St Paul such as the Great Northern and Northern Pacific had used the depot as milepost 0 This is still evident in timetables and mileposts used by the BNSF Railway 41 See also EditOther rail stations in the Twin Cities Edit Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific Depot Freight House and Train Shed Minneapolis destination for Milwaukee Road Soo Line and Rock Island Railroad passenger trains now converted to other uses The Minneapolis Great Northern Depot in Minneapolis was used by trains of the Chicago and North Western Railway Great Northern Railway and Northern Pacific railroads The Chicago Great Western Railway had a station on south Washington Avenue in Minneapolis The Minneapolis and St Louis Railway had a station on north 5th Street in Minneapolis Midway Station former Amtrak station Target Field Station terminus for the Northstar Line commuter trainsRegional and enhanced speed train proposals Edit Chicago Hub Network Passenger rail projects in MinnesotaOther initially abandoned stations Edit Kansas City Union Station An Amtrak station that was abandoned in 1985 but restored in 2002 Cincinnati Union Terminal An Amtrak station that was abandoned in 1972 but restored in 1991References Edit Contract with Jones Lang LaSalle for services at Union Depot approved Ramsey County Regional Rail News Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority July 25 2012 Archived from the original on March 30 2013 Retrieved December 6 2012 Amtrak Fact Sheet Fiscal Year 2021 State of Minnesota PDF Amtrak August 2022 Retrieved September 27 2022 National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service March 15 2006 Lowertown Historic District Minnesota National Register Properties Database Minnesota Historical Society 2009 Retrieved January 9 2013 Browender Wolfie March 14 2018 Living in Union Depot streets mn Retrieved March 16 2020 Saint Paul Union Depot Analysis Final Report PDF Retrieved February 4 2010 permanent dead link Saint Paul Union Depot Company Retrieved May 10 2014 a b Scribbins Jim 2007 1970 The Hiawatha Story Minneapolis MN University of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5003 3 400 Time Magazine Archive January 14 1935 Archived from the original on January 5 2013 Retrieved March 8 2007 Scribbins Jim 2008 1982 The 400 Story Minneapolis Minnesota University of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5449 9 Benn Bryan Fastest Steam Locomotive Archived from the original on April 20 2006 Retrieved February 8 2010 Heritage from the Gods Burlington s new 8 car Twin Zephyrs PDF Burlington Route 1937 Retrieved May 10 2014 Steve Glischinski eyewitness account at depot on April 30 1971 Union Depot Lofts StPaulCondos com Retrieved March 16 2020 a b c Shenoy Rupa December 8 2012 Party marks reopening of St Paul s Union Depot minnesota cbslocal com MediaNews Group Retrieved May 10 2014 a b Melo Frederick December 8 2012 Thousands Visit St Paul s Newly Renovated Union Depot minnesota cbslocal com MediaNews Group Retrieved May 10 2014 a b Renovation www stpauluniondepot com Archived from the original on May 12 2014 Retrieved May 10 2014 St Paul Union Depot purchase approved Railway Age June 4 2009 Retrieved June 9 2009 USDOT approves TIGER grant agreement for Minnesota s Union Depot www progressiverailroading com Progressive Railroading November 18 2010 Retrieved November 20 2010 Melo Fredrick May 7 2014 After 43 years St Paul s Union Depot marks return of passenger trains twincitiespress com MediaNews Group Retrieved May 10 2014 Train Days 2021 Laker Rail Program amp Friday Night Photoshoot Railroad Photo Sessions Union Depot St Paul Osceola Eventbrite Retrieved April 17 2019 LakerRail 2018 Eventbrite Retrieved April 17 2019 LakerRail 2019 Railroad Photography Show and Night Photo Session Eventbrite Retrieved April 17 2019 Union Depot Train Days UnionDepot Retrieved May 10 2022 Melo Fredrick May 7 2014 After 43 years St Paul s Union Depot marks return of passenger trains twincitiespress com MediaNews Group Retrieved May 10 2014 Gilbert Curtis April 2 2014 Amtrak sets May 7 return to St Paul s Union Depot www mprnews Minnesota Public Radio Retrieved May 2 2014 Amtrak s arrival delayed Union Depot welcomes Jefferson Bus Lines whose chair now runs MnDOT twincites com MediaNews Group January 14 2013 Retrieved May 10 2014 Yuen Laura August 10 2010 St Paul s Lowertown dealing with light rail construction headaches minnesota publicradio com Minnesota Public Radio Retrieved September 10 2010 Construction Update Downtown St Paul Week of September 20 2010 myemail constantcontact com Central Corridor Light Rail Transit September 2010 Retrieved September 18 2010 Central Corridor LRT construction schedule at a glance Central Corridor Metropolitan Council July 20 2010 Archived from the original on September 24 2010 Retrieved September 18 2010 Melo Fredrick March 10 2014 Greyhound coming to St Paul s Union Depot twincitiespress com MediaNews Group Retrieved May 10 2014 Union Depot Welcomes Inner City Bus Service minnesota cbslocal com January 14 2013 Retrieved May 10 2014 Melo Fredrick January 23 2014 Megabus coming to St Paul s Union Depot twincitiespress com MediaNews Group Retrieved May 10 2014 These routes will change on Dec 8 Connect Metro Transit December 2012 Retrieved December 6 2012 Cambridge Systematics Inc Kimley Horn and Associates Inc and TKDA Inc December 2009 Minnesota Comprehensive Statewide Freight and Passenger Rail Plan Draft Final Report PDF Minnesota Department of Transportation Retrieved February 8 2010 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Midwest PDF SNCF September 14 2009 Retrieved December 6 2012 Freemark Yonah September 19 2009 SNCF Proposes Development of High Speed Rail in Midwest Texas Florida and California Corridors The Transport Politic Retrieved December 6 2012 a b c d Duchschere Kevin December 5 2012 A new day is coming for St Paul s Union Depot Star Tribune Retrieved December 5 2012 BNSF Twin Cities Division Timetable No 2 November 17 2004 Note The Midway Subdivision and St Paul Subdivision both begin at Seventh Street junction The Staples Subdivision ex combined GN and NP and Wayzata Subdivision ex GN continue the numbering Sources Edit Black Sam December 10 2009 Mortenson team picked for 150M St Paul Union Depot transit hub Minneapolis St Paul Business Journal Retrieved December 16 2009 Diers John 1913 St Paul Union Depot Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5610 3 Mack Doug August 11 2004 Goodbye Mail Hello Rail Professor Yeti Retrieved June 12 2005 Nelson Tim June 7 2005 Post office proposes Eagan move Saint Paul Pioneer Press Retrieved June 12 2005 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint Paul Union Depot Official Union Depot websiteSt Paul Minneapolis Amtrak St Paul Minneapolis Station history at Great American Stations Amtrak St Paul Union Depot in MNopedia the Minnesota Encyclopedia Back On Track The Rebirth of St Paul s Union Depot Ramsey County YouTube 2014 Article from Railway Age Gazette 1915 with original floor plan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Saint Paul Union Depot amp oldid 1147539699, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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