Join the discussion on the following article:
Trains to return to St. Paul Union Depot on May 7
This is so much easier for many! Gonna ride the Green Line right ti the depot. Thanks Amtrak!
I was the engineer on Amtrak no. 8 leaving the Great Northern
depot on April 30, 1971…Returning on Amtrak no. 7 that day we
pulled into the new Midway Station…1st train arriving there.
John Goodman was the station manager that day also leaving the old GN facility. Good memories…this is before Amtrak hired
there own train and engine crews…We were Milwaukee Road men. Fond memories!
I was the engineer on Amtrak no. 8 leaving the Great Northern
depot on April 30, 1971…Returning on Amtrak no. 7 that day we
pulled into the new Midway Station…1st train arriving there.
John Goodman was the station manager that day also leaving the old GN facility. Good memories…this is before Amtrak hired
there own train and engine crews…We were Milwaukee Road men. Fond memories!
I was the engineer on Amtrak no. 8 leaving the Great Northern
depot on April 30, 1971…Returning on Amtrak no. 7 that day we
pulled into the new Midway Station…1st train arriving there.
John Goodman was the station manager that day also leaving the old GN facility. Good memories…this is before Amtrak hired
there own train and engine crews…We were Milwaukee Road men. Fond memories!
I was the engineer on Amtrak no. 8 leaving the Great Northern
depot on April 30, 1971…Returning on Amtrak no. 7 that day we
pulled into the new Midway Station…1st train arriving there.
John Goodman was the station manager that day also leaving the old GN facility. Good memories…this is before Amtrak hired
there own train and engine crews…We were Milwaukee Road men. Fond memories!
I was the engineer on Amtrak no. 8 leaving the Great Northern
depot on April 30, 1971…Returning on Amtrak no. 7 that day we
pulled into the new Midway Station…1st train arriving there.
John Goodman was the station manager that day also leaving the old GN facility. Good memories…this is before Amtrak hired
there own train and engine crews…We were Milwaukee Road men. Fond memories!
You printed my comments on St Paul depot opening, but about
5 times! Maybe delere all but one, O.K?
I was the engineer on Amtrak no. 8 leaving the Great Northern
depot on April 30, 1971…Returning on Amtrak no. 7 that day we
pulled into the new Midway Station…1st train arriving there.
John Goodman was the station manager that day also leaving the old GN facility. Good memories…this is before Amtrak hired
there own train and engine crews…We were Milwaukee Road men. Fond memories!
I was the engineer on Amtrak no. 8 leaving the Great Northern
depot on April 30, 1971…Returning on Amtrak no. 7 that day we
pulled into the new Midway Station…1st train arriving there.
John Goodman was the station manager that day also leaving the old GN facility. Good memories…this is before Amtrak hired
there own train and engine crews…We were Milwaukee Road men. Fond memories!
It was a bit scary when I came into Midway alone at 10:30 pm. I had to wait for a taxi…alone. I will be very happy to detrain at the new…old depot and have people around while l enjoy the beauty of the building.
Absollutely GREAT to see this happen. Mpls passengers can take light rail right to the front door of SPUD. In addition, I will prefer the indoor secure parking I am told will be available even if it costs me a $ or two. I pay $10 per day at Union Stastion in Winnipeg for indoor secure and heated parking and am quite content with that. And assengers can enjoy dinner at Christo’s in the depot while waiting for train time. Only question: Is 8 minute stop at SPUD long enough? It was 1/2 hour or longer at Midway.
If Amtrak had a switch engine and crew for it in Spokane, perhaps the combined train could be arranged with the sleepers together and the coaches together, with the diner and lounge car between. As it is, road crews do the switching, with the minimum number of moves necessary to combine or separate the sections. There may be carmen there to make/break the connections between the cars–or do conductors handle this?
With the existing arrangement, there is through service to both Seattle and Portland from Chicago.
About time. Been waiting for the snow to melt tovist the new train watching park.
Finally, what a wonderful concept, and welcome to the slow revitalization of American rail! Midway was just a larger St. Louis dump shack, in a horrible area–day & night.
I first saw SPUD in July, 1959, arriving overnight on the WB “Western Star” from Chicago, en route to East Glacier Park. Fascinating how our full train was put together there with obs, diner, coffee shop, Pullman, coaches, and head-end. From St. Paul, the beautiful trip across the Stone Bridge over the Mississippi into Minneapolis GN depot.
After that, with my brother at U of Minnesota undergrad & med school, I traveled thru SPUD 4-6 times per year between 1961-1966. Indeed, my first solo trip was in 1961, to/from Minneapolis thru SPUD from Chicago, on the NB “Morning Twin Cities Zephyr;” returning on the SB “400” to Evanston.
Throughout high school years, I learned how to take the “North Coast” north & the “Builder” south; the time at SPUD was unbelievable how these long distance trains were so perfectly put together with Pullmans and coaches together and separated by diner and lounges. (Amazing how Amtrak cannot do that today on #7 & #8 on same route.)
My last trip thru SPUD was on my way to Minneapolis, arriving in the morning of July, 1968 on the “Black Hawk” from Chicago (in slumbercoach); but my very last trip was that later that day in the Skytop parlor of the “Afternoon Hiawatha” back to Chicago.
Who knew how bad it would become after that year…? Our attention was sadly diverted by Tet, RFK, and the election.
It seems they should have left Midway open until such time as a Minneapolis station might be opened. They may have to stop there for switching anyway.
Memphis Union Station should be as fortunate as St. Paul Union Depot. The Beaux arts station was razed for a sparten U.S. Postal facility rather than use the preexisting building as in the SPUD.
Memphis Union Station should be as fortunate as St. Paul Union Depot. The Beaux arts station was razed for a sparten U.S. Postal facility rather than use the preexisting building as in the SPUD.
Having lived in Minneapolis, and taken the train out of Midway Station many times, I disagree that this is a disservice to west metro residents. Transit service to Midway Station was nonexistent, unless you count a several blocks-long walk from University Ave. (which I did many times). Having light rail right to the door is a huge plus and the LRT will be faster than the buses (even if a longer ride distance-wise). Also service from St. Paul to the airport/Mall of America will be available, previously you had to ride the bus to downtown St. Paul or Minneapolis, and change to bus/LRT to reach those destinations. Overall I think this is a great move.
The move to SPUD is a huge mistake for Amtrak, as it makes it much more difficult for those of us who live in the western metro (read Minneapolis). Services at SPUD are spread out over a huge building and there is no free parking. Midway station is compact, plenty of parking and in the center of the Twin Cities area. Amtrak - watch for a decline, a serious one, in number of passengers from Minneapolis. I love traveling by Amtrak and this makes it much more difficult.