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Deal approved to bring Amtrak trains to St. Paul Union Depot
It’s nothing short of great that Amtrak’s moving into SPUd but Amtrak really needs to have a station in Minneapolis as well. they also should keep Midway open as well. In that area, no single train station can ever be convenient for that enire metropolitan area.
Think using SPUD is great but how about having a Midway be an unmanned boarding and leaving the train location. Does anyone know if I can still park at Midway then taking light rail to SPUD?
Minneapolis doesn’t see Amtrak as being critical to its transportation requirements. If Amtrak was critical, it would have been using Hill’s Stone Arch Bridge all these years. This is nothing more than Minneapolis giving St Paul a treat in an attempt to get St Paul to stop whining, which that city has been doing ever since it realized most people outside of Minnesota can find Minneapolis on the map, but can’t locate St Paul.
I know this report concerns SPUD, but the mention of what station should have been used in Memphis leads me to comment that the Union Station would have been a poor choice, since it was a stub station, and using it would have required a reverse move; the IC did not need a reverse move when going through Memphis, so Central Station is a far better choice.
I know this report concerns SPUD, but the mention of what station should have been used in Memphis leads me to comment that the Union Station would have been a poor choice, since it was a stub station, and using it would have required a reverse move; the IC did not need a reverse move when going through Memphis, so Central Station is a far better choice.
I agree with David, Midway should be considered a stop for Minneapolis. Have St. Paul be the inspection station and Midway as a intermediate stop.
I agree with David, Midway should be considered a stop for Minneapolis. Have St. Paul Depot as the inspection station and Midway as an intermediate station.
While I see advantages for some St. Paul people with the revived downtown station, I can see the need for also keeping the Midway station, especially for Minneapolis. I wonder if there is some organization pushing to keep it open?
Memphis Union Station should be as fortunate as St. Paul Union Depot. It could have functioned as a postal facility like SPUD rather than be razed for a new spartan facility. Illinois Central and later Amtrak could have chosen MUS over the non-descript Central Station two blocks away.
Having light rail between Minneapolis (Target Field/downtown) and St. Paul (SPUD) will help people make all-rail connections between the two downtowns when the Central Corridor opens next year. Great news this!
Although SPUD is a wonderful building, this is very bad news for all of us who use Amtrak in the MSP metro area. Midway Station is convenient to the whole of the Twin Cities, SPUD is not. Services at SPUD will be spread out over a large area whereas at Midway they are all adjacently located. Parking at Midway is convenient and free with plenty of unload and pick up space. SPUD has only expensive parking and very limited load and pick up space. NO - this is NOT GOOD NEWS for those of us who want to continue using Amtrak, especially for those who live on the west side of the metropolitan area.
Although SPUD is a wonderful building, this is very bad news for all of us who use Amtrak in the MSP metro area. Midway Station is convenient to the whole of the Twin Cities, SPUD is not. Services at SPUD will be spread out over a large area whereas at Midway they are all adjacently located. Parking at Midway is convenient and free with plenty of unload and pick up space. SPUD has only expensive parking and very limited load and pick up space. NO - this is NOT GOOD NEWS for those of us who want to continue using Amtrak, especially for those who live on the west side of the metropolitan area.
Only the geographical illiterate couldn’t find St. Paul on a map. Steve dishing out nonsense is what he does on a regular basis.
I have been following this story for Trains for several years and wanted to address some of the comments made here.
While it is easier to park at Midway, the parking is unprotected and there have been incidents of vandalism. While you will have to pay for parking at SPUD, it has 24-hour security, including guards crossing the lots constantly and cameras.
Also, the facilities at SPUD are far nicer. There is more room, the first class lounge is bigger, and eventually, they are plans for restaurants and retail. Midway is really cramped and has that aging, “1970s” feel of weariness. The new LRT line will be right outside the front door at SPUD rather than a block away as at Midway, and there are plans to construct a hotel next door in the old Post Office building, along with apartments.
There have been many comments about not having a station in Minneapolis and keeping Midway. Bear in mind that SPUD is only six miles from Midway. If you are going to go to the station by car, it’s only another few minutes drive on I94 past Midway to SPUD. Also, keep in mind that the depot was in downtown Minneapolis from 1971 to 1978, and St. Paul and east metro residents had to drive to Minneapolis, but that worked out fine. In my mind, what should be considered is a west metro stop at one of the Northstar commuter rail stations, such as Fridley or Anoka. This would be closer for residents on the west side of town.
Finally, the comment about Minneapolis giving St Paul a treat in an attempt to get St. Paul to stop whining is nonsense. It was St. Paul and Ramsey County that developed plans for a transit hub in St. Paul, Minneapolis had nothing to do with it. They have their own transit hub going, a new facility at Target Field to handle light rail, buses, and commuter rail. The Empire Builder can’t really serve it because it would require a long backup move.
The Goose will keep on honking his tripe until the end of time. If the Empire Builder is so insignificant as the Goose claims; why is there is an interest to making the train twice daily, at least from Chicago to St Paul? According to reports, the “Builder” as experienced an unprecedented hike in ridership.
For those of you bemoaning the fact that our suburb across the river will not have an Amtrak stop by next Spring you can hop on the Green Line light rail connecting the two cities from Target station to SPUD. I think Steve made it quite clear that leaving your car at Midway can be a risk with vandalism and break ins. SPUD has far better parking facilities and is far more user friendly. SPUD is the crown jewel in St. Paul’s “Lowertown” section where there will be a new ball park for the Saints nearby as well as more developments within the community including an historic building nearby that hosts art galleries and lofts for artists. It may not be as glitzy as the facility in Minneapolis but in the final analysis SPUD and the surrounding area will have far more character. Most importantly SPUD will eventually expand as additional commuter line, high speed rail and connectivity to local and intercity bus lines use the facility.
The saving and re-use of SPUD is the best thing that has happened in this area in years! Why not be positive and see the potential for good and useful growth?
given the fact that amtrak is still planning to stop at midway
to cut coaches in and out and handle private cars, how hard
would it be to let people board there?
Midway in St. Paul has a building construction similarity to that of Miami. Both need to be converted over to use as training and maintenance facilities. Their days of being a passenger station are past, as Amtrak has relocated to stations with better intermodal connections. Both SPUD and the new intermodal facility in Miami will allow Amtrak better access to airline connections as well, which both play an important role in the future of intermodal travel. Midway and the current Miami station are fine if you are going to the station by car, but both lack good public transportation connections, so it makes sense that Amtrak is relocating both of them.