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63-567: The museum has had a home in Saint Paul since 1934, where it first started as a club. In later years the museum established a home in the Saint Paul Union Depot where it remained till its last day of operations on September 26, 1978, when the depot was shut down. The museum's next home was Bandana Square , a former Northern Pacific railcar repair facility that was being redeveloped as a mall. The museum members started building

126-681: A Hiawatha train from Milwaukee to St. Paul as the Borealis , providing additional daily service between Union Depot and Chicago. The Borealis is the successor to the North Star and the Twin Cities Hiawatha . A further extension to Minneapolis Target Field Station and St. Cloud has been proposed. New trains running at speeds above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) to Chicago have also been discussed since at least 1991. The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative (MWRRI), led by

189-767: A BRT service and eventually being upgraded to commuter rail, however plans are on hold as ridership on the current bus routes in this corridor are low. 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. 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 Mankato , Northfield , and Minneapolis (continuing further west as

252-556: A cost of $ 243 million, of which $ 35 million was provided by the US government through the TIGER program. The renovated station re-opened to the public on December 8, 2012. The first Amtrak train to service Saint Paul Union Depot was the westbound Empire Builder on May 7, 2014, with its eastbound counterpart stopping the next day. Borealis service began on May 21, 2024, with St. Paul as its western terminus. Since opening in late 2012,

315-544: A new O-Scale layout in the space. In 2009, museum volunteers opened the Toy Train Division in the adjacent Chimneys Building which featured an ever-changing set of toy trains in various other scales. On October 16, 2015, the museum announced that it was looking for a new home. The museum subsequently announced it would be moving to a new location in spring of 2016. The museum reopened on May 17, 2016, in their new location at 668 Transfer Road, Suite 8. The new location

378-610: A platform under the waiting room. 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. Track was laid from 2011 to 2012. While the Union Depot is the eastern terminus of service, the tracks continue beyond the station to the line's maintenance facility. The current vision for

441-595: A second set of trains daily in 1936, running the Morning Zephyr and Afternoon Zephyr from each terminal. The Hiawatha added a second set of trains in 1939, and the Morning Hiawatha and Afternoon Hiawatha each provided daily service from Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago. The Morning Hiawatha may have held the record as the world's fastest steam train on two or more measures: The 78.3 miles (126.0 km) run from Sparta to Portage, Wisconsin

504-476: A special term like union station is usually not used. The stations are generally owned and operated by DB Station&Service . As another example, Leipzig Hauptbahnhof , the main station of Leipzig , originally consisted of side-by-side parts that were used by the Prussian and Saxonian Railways until the federal Deutsche Reichsbahn was founded in 1920, but were essentially two stations operated separately by

567-439: A spokesman for Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority, referred to the potential of the station to be "the living room of Saint Paul." The entrance to Union Depot, the headhouse , is considered a somewhat severe example of neoclassical architecture , with a robust aesthetic. A series of tall Doric columns line the front façade. The concourse and the waiting room that extends out to the platforms, where trains once rolled in,

630-536: A through-service). In 2010, the Minnesota Department of Transportation also released a plan for regional rail stretching out from the Twin Cities to rural Minnesota and neighboring states, and at least some of the lines would run to Saint Paul. For decades, the only intercity train to serve the Twin Cities was the overnight Empire Builder . However, beginning on May 21st, 2024, Amtrak extended

693-439: A unified paid area , where ticket gates are shared between all operators serving the station, or separate paid areas, where different operators have individual paid areas, thus requiring commuters to exit a paid area and then enter another to transfer between different operators. In North America , a union station is usually owned by a separate corporation whose shares are owned by the different railways which use it, so that

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756-579: Is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies , allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them. The term 'union station' is used in North America and 'joint station' is used in Europe. In the U.S., union stations are typically used by all the passenger trains serving a city, although exceptions exist. For example, in Chicago ,

819-541: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Saint Paul Union Depot Saint Paul Union Depot is a historic railroad station and intermodal transit hub in the Lowertown neighborhood of Saint Paul , Minnesota . It serves light rail, intercity rail, intercity bus, and local bus services. It is the eastern terminus for the METRO Green Line light rail line, with the stop located outside

882-592: Is an Amtrak Thruway to Duluth via Jefferson Lines. The station appears as St. Paul-Minneapolis in Amtrak timetables. The depot serves as the Metro Green Line light rail line's eastern terminus. The Green Line runs between St. Paul and Minneapolis with its western terminus at Target Field station in the North Loop area of Downtown Minneapolis . The stop is in front of the headhouse, rather than at

945-595: Is considered to be one of the great architectural achievements in the city. Charles Frost designed the station. The waiting room is flooded with natural light from skylights. These skylights were blackened during the Second World War , but restored for the 2012 re-opening. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Union station A union station , union terminal , joint station , or joint-use station

1008-648: Is just south of the former Amtrak Midway Depot along the Minnesota Commercial railyard. The museum's most popular event is Night Trains® which began on November 30, 1996. This event features the layout buildings, streetlamps and train cars lit up with only theatrical lighting overhead, creating a holiday vibe which is highly attended. Special events during the Night Train season, held November through February, include Santa visits, live music, guest layouts and more. Additional special events throughout

1071-463: Is not as familiar or as well understood as "union station" is in the United States. In Japan, such a railway station is referred to as a joint-use station ( 共同使用駅 , Kyōdō shiyō-eki ) . At railway junctions where two or more railway lines operated by different companies meet, the companies may reach an agreement to entrust one of the companies to manage the entire station, resulting in

1134-541: Is typically open Friday-Monday. However, additional special events are held throughout the year. In 2024, the museum is celebrating its 90th Anniversary with special events throughout the year. The museum had a special logo made to honor the 90th anniversary which harkens back to their original look from the Bandana Square era. This model rail-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Saint Paul, Minnesota -related article

1197-638: The William Crooks , was displayed at the depot from 1955 until the station's 1971 closure, after which it was moved to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth . On January 2, 1935, high-speed express service to Chicago was introduced on the Chicago and North Western Railway 's 400 , cutting the scheduled time between the two cities from about 10 hours down to 7. Time dubbed the 400 , "the fastest train scheduled on

1260-692: The Fukuoka City Subway 's Kūkō Line . Joint-use stations may also be built at places where railway lines operated by different companies share the same tracks, as is the case from Meguro Station to Shirokane-Takanawa Station in Tokyo , which is shared between the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line and the Toei Mita Line . Depending on the extent of agreements reached by the different operators, joint-use stations may feature

1323-754: The Great Depression unfolded, more aggressive moves were required. The streamliner era in the United States began in 1934 with the introduction of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 's Zephyr . After making a "Dawn-to-Dusk Dash" from Chicago to Denver, Colorado , the CB&;Q's interest soon turned to the Twin Cities run. A demonstration run was completed in 6 hours and 4 minutes, including six one-minute stops. Other railroads were soon busy investigating how to run faster trains to Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The first locomotive to run in Minnesota ,

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1386-611: The Great Northern Railroad and whose nickname was "The Empire Builder", and provides service west to Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon and southeast to Chicago . St. Paul is also the western terminus of the Borealis , an extended Hiawatha train that supplements the Empire Builder between Chicago and St. Paul. The Empire Builder originally stopped at the station from 1929 until 1971. In 1971, Amtrak consolidated all passenger rail service for

1449-562: The Illinois Central and Chicago & North Western depots coexisted with Union Station , and although most Metra commuter trains (and all Amtrak services) continue to use Union Station today, some lines depart from other terminals, such as Ogilvie Transportation Center , LaSalle Street Station , or Millennium Station . The busiest station to be named "Union Station" is Toronto Union Station , which serves over 72 million passengers annually. The first union station building

1512-572: 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

1575-654: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation , has proposed a link to the Twin Cities running at up to 110 mph (180 km/h). The planned schedule time to Saint Paul would be just 5½ hours. Others including the French national railway SNCF , which operates the TGV network, have proposed trains running at up to 220 miles per hour (350 km/h). Prior to the station's reopening in December 2012, Josh Collins,

1638-559: The 261 passenger cars, Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific heritage locomotives, an Amtrak ALC-42 , a TC&W locomotive and some BNSF freight cars. In 2023, two CPKC locomotives, Milwaukee Road 261 and 32A, TC&W 2020, and GN 192 from Duluth were displayed. Train Days is planned to return in June 2024. The station is serviced by two Amtrak trains. The Empire Builder is named to honor Saint Paul-based mogul James J. Hill who constructed

1701-598: The 261), Minnesota Transportation Museum , Great Northern Railway Historical Society , Twin Cities and Western Railroad , and others. 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

1764-522: The 261. 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, GN 400 and NP 3617 , MILW 32A along with multiple Friends of

1827-613: The American Continent, fastest in all the world on a stretch over 200 mi." The C&NW beat two other railroads which had been planning 6½ hour service to begin in the spring. The Milwaukee Road 's Hiawatha and the Burlington Route 's Twin Cities Zephyr were introduced with 6½ hour service a few months later at the same time, and C&NW matched their schedules. The Burlington Zephyrs were

1890-600: 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. 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"

1953-492: 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

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2016-593: The Ramsey County Board approved purchasing the depot headhouse for $ 8.2 million, to serve as a METRO Green Line light rail station and for future passenger rail use. In 2010, USPS moved most of the truck operations to a bulk mail processing center in Eagan, Minnesota , making way for rehabilitation of the depot as a rail hub. Demolition of the Postal Service building that blocked track access to

2079-653: The Twin Cities at the Great Northern Station in Minneapolis , and in 1978 moved to the Midway Station in Saint Paul, about halfway between the downtowns of the two cities. Service returned to the Union Depot from Midway in 2014 after it was delayed for almost two years from the depot's initial grand re-opening in 2012 due to negotiations with the owners of the railroads ( Canadian Pacific Railway , BNSF Railway , and Union Pacific Railroad ) in

2142-486: The area and the construction of new complex signals on the Merriam Park Subdivision . The westbound Empire Builder arrives from Chicago in the middle of the night, usually around 10:30 p.m. The eastbound Empire Builder arrives around breakfast time. The westbound Borealis arrives from Chicago around 6:29 p.m, and departs on its return journey to Chicago at 11:50 a.m. Also included

2205-442: The building's 90th Anniversary. Various displays, vendors, and photographers were featured inside the depot. Outside featured numerous rail equipment, featuring Milwaukee Road 261 , Amtrak's Exhibit Train , and Soo Line FP7a #2500 , among others. On May 6, 2017, featured railroad equipment included Amtrak's veteran's locomotive, two Union Pacific locomotives, a TC&W locomotive, and Northern Pacific RPO #1102. NP RPO #1102 had

2268-416: The costs and benefits of its operations are shared proportionately among them. This contrasts with the system of trackage rights or running rights , where one railway company owns a line or facility, but allows another company to share it under a contractual agreement. However, the company that owns the union station and associated trackage does assign trackage rights to the railroads that use it. Many of

2331-530: 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. 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

2394-633: The depot is to create a hub for intercity connections for local and regional bus service , light rail , and commuter rail . Bus rapid transit (BRT) has been selected for the Rush Line Corridor between St. Paul and White Bear Lake . The southern terminus of this route is planned to be at St. Paul Union Depot. The Gateway Corridor (now called the Gold Line) is also planned to be bus rapid transit and will operate between St. Paul and Woodbury . The Red Rock Corridor has also been proposed as

2457-406: 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

2520-467: The distinction of being the "Last Mail Train" as Train Day attendees had mail transported inside the car from Union Depot to Osceola, Wisconsin. On May 5, 2018, Minnesota Transportation Museum equipment along with Union Pacific's Chicago & Northwestern 'heritage' locomotive were on display. Train Days 2019 featured Soo Line 700 from LSRM and Wisconsin & Southern E9-A 101 from the Friends of

2583-518: 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. The Saint Paul Union Depot Company controlled 9.24 miles (14.87 km) of St. Paul trackage and terminal facilities, including

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2646-574: The establishment of a joint-use station. In contrast, an interchange station ( 乗換駅 , Norikae-eki ) in Japan is where different sections of a station are managed by different companies at the same time. Many joint-use stations in Japan are located at or near the boundary of two railway lines operated by different companies that operate through services to each other, such as Meinohama Station in Fukuoka , where JR Kyushu 's Chikuhi Line meets

2709-421: 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

2772-632: The first streamlined diesel-electric trains to serve the Twin Cities, and originally ran in an articulated configuration. The 400 (now renamed the Twin Cities 400 ) followed in 1939, but using more conventional trucks and couplers to link passenger cars together. The Hiawatha had always been powered by a streamlined (or, in the terminology of the Milwaukee Road, "speedlined") steam locomotive . The Twin Cities Zephyrs added

2835-632: The five daily fast trains became unprofitable. The Twin Cities 400 was the first victim, ending service on July 23, 1963. It was announced that when Amtrak formally took over most passenger service on May 1, 1971, it would consolidate its Twin Cities service in Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Great Northern Depot . Accordingly, the Burlington (later Burlington Northern ) Zephyrs ended service on April 30, 1971,

2898-797: The jointly owned stations were built by terminal railroads . Examples include the Ogden Union Railway & Depot Company, jointly owned by Southern Pacific and Union Pacific to manage the Ogden Union Station in Ogden, Utah; and the Denver Terminal Railway Company, representing the Denver & Rio Grande Western , Chicago Burlington & Quincy , Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe , Colorado & Southern and Chicago Rock Island & Pacific and

2961-622: The main marshalling yard of Prague . Three routes flowed into it: Pražská spojovací dráha (the Prague Connecting Railroad, 1872), the extension of Buštěhradská dráha from Hostivice (1872) and Pražsko-duchcovská dráha (the Railroad Prague – Duchcov , 1873). Nowadays the "společné nádraží" forms an unremarkable separate platform of the station Praha-Smíchov , known in timetables as "Praha-Smíchov severní nástupiště" (the northern platform). "Společné nádraží"

3024-465: The same day the depot closed. The Afternoon Zephyr was the last train to serve the depot when it departed that evening bound for Minneapolis. At this time, this train was normally combined with the Empire Builder and North Coast Limited from Chicago to St. Paul, except on Fridays when it ran as a separate train. Since April 30 was a Friday, the Zephyr had the "honor" of being the last train to depart

3087-725: The similar term Gemeinschaftsbahnhof is used in administrative language only; it applies for stations with joint facilities as well as for stations with side-by-side facilities; some border stations also fall under that term. The general public often call them " Hauptbahnhof " (main station), but this is a misnomer, as stations administratively classified as "Hauptbahnhof" need not be served by multiple operators. Many major stations in Germany are served by various trains operated by incumbent Deutsche Bahn and other railways that operate local passenger trains, sometimes also by railway companies of neighbor states that operate trans-border connections;

3150-410: The station began in mid-March 2011. The USPS ramp cut all the way across the train deck and blocked the ability for tracks to be installed, so the ramp was modified during restoration to make a roughly right-angle turn to access new bus platforms on the north end of the train deck while freeing up room for a few tracks to be restored on the south end. The renovation was completed in late November 2012 at

3213-430: The station's headhouse . It is also the Twin Cities ' stop for Amtrak , the national intercity railroad service. In addition to rail, Union Depot also serves Metro Transit , Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA), Jefferson Lines , Greyhound Lines , and Megabus . The headhouse, located at the 4th Street entrance, was designed by architect Charles Sumner Frost and is neoclassical in style. The concourse and

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3276-457: The station. Area boosters had long hoped that trains would return to the Union Depot, and plans gathered steam as the Blue Line light rail project in Minneapolis drew toward completion. Planners envisioned the depot being used for a restored Amtrak service along with Metro and Jefferson Lines buses. A few businesses had occupied the headhouse since the halt of train service in 1971, while

3339-572: The two neighbors. In Bohemia (part of the territory of the Czech Republic today) some stations were called the "společné nádraží" (the common station) before the state took over the private railway companies. "Praha-Smíchov společné nádraží" is to this day the functional name of the second station built in 1872 by the same investor near the first station Smíchov of the Pražská západní dráha ( Prague Western Railroad ). The new station served as

3402-560: The waiting room that extend over the tracks are viewed as a great architectural achievement. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It is also a contributing property to the Lowertown Historic District . In addition to its transit uses, Union Depot also contains a Hertz rental car location, coffee shop, restaurant, a bike shop, offices, a museum, and loft condominiums. There have been two Union Depots in Saint Paul. The first

3465-476: The year include hobby sales, circus trains, military trains, Halloween events and more. The museum went through an expansion during the pandemic that allowed it to start offering birthday parties in a newly expanded space. The space also includes additional train layouts in the "Mini-Sota" gallery, a work area, storage, offices and break room for volunteers. This expansion brings the square footage of museum display space to nearly 14,000 square feet. The museum

3528-680: Was Columbus Union Station in 1851, though Indianapolis Union Station , planned in 1848 and built in 1853, had more elements of a cooperative union station. In most countries in Europe , throughout much of the 20th century, railways have been owned and operated by state enterprises . Where only one railway company exists, there is no need for a "joint station". However, before nationalisation many companies existed and sometimes they had "joint stations". In some cases this persists today. "Joint stations" are often found near borders where two state-owned railway companies meet. In German-speaking countries ,

3591-455: 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. In the 1950s,

3654-464: Was built 1845–1848 at Brno . "Společné nádraží" was at Železná Ruda as well, station at border Bavaria – Austro-Hungarian Empire . It was in operation 1878–1938. Nowadays the largest stations are called "hlavní nádraží" (main station). In the United Kingdom , before the railways were nationalised in 1948, stations shared by multiple operators were referred to as "joint stations", but

3717-430: 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. Around this time, the building was remodeled with a taller central tower and other alterations to the roofline . This station burned in 1915. The current structure

3780-626: 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. "Train Days" typically sees participation from area railroads and preservation organizations, including Amtrak , BNSF Railway , Canadian Pacific Kansas City , Union Pacific , Operation Lifesaver , Lake Superior Railroad Museum , Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (and subsidiary Friends of

3843-496: Was scheduled for 58 minutes—an average of 81 miles per hour (130 km/h). Speeds up to and above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) were achieved on a daily basis, and the powerful Milwaukee Road class F7 engines (designed for a "reserve speed" of 125 miles per hour (201 km/h)) likely ran more miles at or above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) than any other steam locomotives in history. Burlington's diesel Zephyrs were also very fast, and they had to be—the Zephyr route

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3906-541: 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. 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. In June 2009,

3969-459: Was started in 1917 but was not completed until 1923 because World War I forced 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;

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