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Trains News Wire EXCLUSIVE: First Amtrak train stops at St. Paul Union Depot, National Train Day celebration planned
Is it me, it is that platform low? Shouldn’t it be higher for 508 compliance?
Platform appears to be correct level to accommodate wheelchair ramps stored beside “Superliner” lower-level luggage racks off vestibules.
ATK No.'s 7/27 and 8/28 will continue to stop @ Midway (St. Paul) account fueling, and switching requirements (provided by MNCR under contract, extra coach to/from CUS and private cars will still be added or removed there). However, all Twin Cities passenger boarding and off-loading will now occur @ SPUD.
Presume that in time, cars will be watered and fueled at SPUD as I noted watering facilities are all installed there as well as stanby electrical power which was in service powering Boardman’s train.
Indeed, there must have been many details such as the installation of watering facilities the whole length of the platform, stanby electric, passage ways for baggage carts from ticket office to platform, a number of switches, etc. Must have cost much, but I am happy to have my tax $$ going for such.
I hope passengers can find their way from the Amtrak ticket office on Kellogg, Blvd., up the escalator, and through the station consorse to the down escalator to the loading platform.
Am sure the Builder will need more than 8 minutes for the stop at SPUD.
PS: Have noted the June 9, schedule on Amtrak website shows train going back to original schedule. Has anything really been resolved schedule wise except that Whitefish, MT at 4:30 AM for train 8 was really a killer. But Minot was usually on time on new “temporary” schedule for 8. Does anyone really think going back to old schedule will make things more on time?? What’s resolved by this action?
Glad to see my tax dollars being spent on something that benefits working people!
Is there any agitation in Minneapolis for keeping Midway Station open, or creating a new closer to downtown station?
Once the Central Corridor light rail opens in June, connection to Minneapolis will be great. Park at home, take the light rail to SPUD and ride Amtrak. Come down to Train Day on May 10 and tour our trains. (free smells)
Cheers for SPUD. However, longer car trips, longer access walks and parking fees for we Minneapolis passengers who had a much better deal at Midway.
there really should be a joint station in Minneapolis with Northstar. I know that Northstar’s terminus is stub end A joint station could be implemented eight around here Noe\rthstar’s trains join the mainline.
Great to see this come to fruition!
Hooray for return of passenger service to SPUD!
Following up on Mr. Aldinger’s thought, perhaps Northstar could move some of its trains to Midway instead of the current station. But not living there (and having visited only once, many years ago) I don’t know if that would be a good idea for ridership.
I returned from Montana May 12th to SPUD. Our train did not stop at Midway station. The stop at St Paul was only 12 Minutes. We were 5 hours late mostly due to slow orders between Minot and Fargo, ND.
By the way, Joe Boardman’s private cars were added to Amtrak 8/28 at Minot. I got pics and video of Him on the platform talking to employees. He was in jeans and a blue windbreaker. (working class hero?). There was no way to get from his cars to ours due to the height difference of the viewliners and his older coaches.
I would like to have told him what I thought about cutting out the diner on long distance trains.
The wye track at Minneapolis Junction that connects Target field station with the North Star line to the NW and St Paul to the SE is also the home of Milwaukee Road 261’s Shops. There is plenty of Space There for a platform that could be the Minneapolis Station as the Amtrak trains go right past. I don’t know who actually owns the property but a platform would also be beneficial to the Friends of the 261 for Excursion Train Loading.
Just a thought
Mr Streeter: The midway station would not be useful for most Northstar users as it is in an industrial area whereas Target Field station is in the heart of the most recent upsurge in new downtown Minneapolis redevelopment. Abundant new housing nearby, many new restuarants, all of the downtown high rises with their employment opportunities, etc,etc.
As I said before, the best spot for an Amtrak stop in Minneapolis is probably Minneapolis Junction!
Now, if only passenger trains return to St. Louis Union Station starting with restoration of platform tracks and wye.
David Aldinger:
Your idea won’t work as North Star is on the Wayzata Sub and Amtrak takes the St. Paul Sub or Midway Sub to the Minnesota Commercial to Merriam Park where it swings eastward onto the CP to the SPUD. I am retired NP-BN-BNSF from Minneapolis.
Ed Burns
Mr Aldinger had some typing errors but I think he is saying “right where the Northstar joins the main line.” That is at Minneapolis Junction. The wye track there is the spot I believe he is referring to. I ride AMTRAK all the time to Montana and we pass this spot every the time. As we head to St Cloud, the next stop, we are passing all of the Northstar stations.
When I rode the 261 excursion to Duluth in 2013 we boarded on the NE leg of the wye.
By the way AMTRAK provides the diesel with head end generator that powers the passenger cars. So they must be aware of the location. I wonder if anyone at TRAINS has asked them about a possible stop at MPLS Junction?
Horay!! For what? StPauls gain is Minneapolis’ loss. In the scheme of things…the train stops only once in the twin cities.