Staples station

Not to be confused with Staple railway station.

Staples station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Staples, Minnesota, United States, served by Amtrak's daily Empire Builder service. It was built in December 1909 by the Northern Pacific Railway. The architects of the station were Charles A. Reed and Allen H. Stem, who also designed the Northern Pacific's King Street Station in Seattle, Washington, and the New York Central Railroad's Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

Staples, MN
The Staples depot from the south-southeast
General information
Location	First & Fourth Avenues Staples, Minnesota United States
Coordinates	46°21′16″N 94°47′43″W / 46.35444°N 94.79528°W / 46.35444; -94.79528
Line(s)	BNSF Staples Subdivision
Platforms	1 side platform (1 island platform removed)
Tracks	3
Construction
Parking	Yes
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: SPL
History
Opened	1909
Passengers
FY 2022	5,363^[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Detroit Lakes toward Seattle or Portland Empire Builder St. Cloud toward Chicago
Former services Preceding station Northern Pacific Railway Following station Aldrich toward Seattle or Tacoma Main Line Philbrook toward St. Paul Wadena toward Winnipeg Winnipeg – St. Paul Little Falls toward St. Paul Terminus Staples – Duluth Hayden toward Duluth
Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Built	1902
Architect	Northern Pacific Railway Engineering Dept
Architectural style	Classic Revival
NRHP reference No.	85003613^[2]
Added to NRHP	June 13, 2008^[3]
Location
Staples, MN Location in Minnesota Show map of Minnesota Staples, MN Location in United States Show map of the United States

In the mid-2000s the city began negotiations with BNSF with the intent to purchase and rehabilitate the depot, which was largely empty and not well maintained. The sale was finalized in February 2008 and the depot is now owned and managed by the Staples Historical Society (SHS). Since then the SHS has undertaken a handful of important improvement projects, such as installing a new roof and repairing historic windows. The group is also searching for funding to undertake a full-scale rehabilitation of the interior and mechanical systems. Ultimately the SHS hopes to restore the second floor so that it can house the Staples Historical Society Museum. The local chamber of commerce currently occupies the ticket office adjacent to the waiting room.^[4]

The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 2008.^[3]

References

1. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of Minnesota" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
2. Todd County Listings at the National Register of Historic Places
3. "National Register of Historic Places Listings". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-06-13.
4. "Staples Station". Amtrak's Great American Stations. Retrieved 3 December 2014.

External links

  Media related to Staples station at Wikimedia Commons

• Staples, MN – Amtrak
• Staples, MN – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Staples Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)