Saint Paul Union Depot
Union Depot Saint Paul, MN | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Location | 214 Fourth Street East Jones Lang LaSalle[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Line(s) | CPKC Merriam Park Subdivision | ||||||||||||||||||||
Platforms | 9 historically 3 currently | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tracks | 18 historically 2 currently | ||||||||||||||||||||
Bus routes |
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Bus stands | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Bus operators | |||||||||||||||||||||
Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||
Parking |
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Bicycle facilities | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||
Station code | Amtrak: MSP | ||||||||||||||||||||
Website | uniondepot | ||||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | Original depot: 1881 Current structure: 1923 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Rebuilt | 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Passengers | |||||||||||||||||||||
FY 2022 | 59,815[2] (Amtrak) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Union Depot | |||||||||||||||||||||
Location | 214 Fourth Street East Saint Paul, Minnesota | ||||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 44°56′52″N 93°5′10″W / 44.94778°N 93.08611°W | ||||||||||||||||||||
Built | 1917 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Architect | Charles Sumner Frost | ||||||||||||||||||||
Architectural style | Classical Revival | ||||||||||||||||||||
Part of | Lowertown Historic District (ID83000935) | ||||||||||||||||||||
NRHP reference No. | 74001040[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Significant dates | |||||||||||||||||||||
Added to NRHP | December 18, 1974 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Designated CP | February 21, 1983 |
Saint Paul Union Depot is a historic
. It serves light rail, intercity rail, intercity bus, and local bus services.It is the eastern terminus for the
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
History
Original Union Depot
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 to stem the flow of passengers and compete with these new forms of transportation. As the
The first
Early high-speed trains
On January 2, 1935, high-speed express service to Chicago was introduced on the
The Burlington Zephyrs were the first
The Morning Hiawatha may have held the record as the world's
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
Restoration and return of passenger service
Area boosters had long hoped that trains would return to the Union Depot, and plans gathered steam as the
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]
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
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
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
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.
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
On May 6, 2017, featured railroad equipment included Amtrak's veteran's locomotive, two
On May 5, 2018, Minnesota Transportation Museum equipment along with Union Pacific's
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 returned in 2022, featuring two restored SD45s from Duluth,
Services
Amtrak
Serving this station is the
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
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 to Duluth via Jefferson Lines. The station appears as St. Paul-Minneapolis in Amtrak timetables.
Light rail
The depot serves as the
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
- 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
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
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
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
It is also being proposed to extend the route to Minneapolis
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
Local significance
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
The waiting room is flooded with natural light from skylights. These skylights were blackened during the
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
- Rock Island Railroadpassenger trains; now converted to other uses
- The Chicago and North Western Railway, Great Northern Railway, and Northern Pacificrailroads
- 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 Linecommuter trains
Regional and enhanced-speed train proposals
Other initially abandoned stations
- 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 1991
References
- ^ "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 2022: State of Minnesota" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ISBN 978-0-8166-5449-9.
- ^ Benn, Bryan. "Fastest Steam Locomotive?". Archived from the original on April 20, 2006. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
- 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.
- ^ MediaNews Group. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ^ 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.
- MediaNews Group. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ^ "Train Days 2021".
- ^ "Laker Rail Program & 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- MediaNews Group. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ^ "Union Depot Welcomes Inner City Bus Service". minnesota.cbslocal.com. January 14, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- 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.
{{cite web}}
: 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
- 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: 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
- 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