Saint Paul Union Depot

Saint Paul Union Depot
Company type	Transit center
Industry	Transportation
Founded	1923
Headquarters	Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Area served	Saint Paul metropolitan area
Products	Light rail, intercity rail, intercity bus, local bus transportation

Saint Paul Union Depot stands as a historic railroad station and a key intermodal transit center located in the Lowertown district of Saint Paul, Minnesota. It accommodates services including light rail, intercity rail, intercity bus, and local bus transportation.

This depot functions as the eastern endpoint of the METRO Green Line light rail, with its stop situated just outside the station's headhouse. It also serves as the Amtrak station for the Twin Cities. Furthermore, Union Depot is a hub for Metro Transit, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA), Jefferson Lines, Greyhound Lines, and Megabus.

The neoclassical headhouse on 4th Street, designed by architect Charles Sumner Frost, includes a distinguished concourse and waiting area that extends above the tracks. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and contributes to the historic character of the Lowertown Historic District.

In addition to transportation functions, Union Depot contains amenities such as a Hertz car rental office, café, restaurant, bicycle shop, office spaces, a museum, and residential loft condominiums.

First Union Depot

Saint Paul has been home to two different Union Depots. The original facility, completed in 1881, unified multiple railroads under one roof. By 1888, it reached a peak usage of eight million passengers annually with approximately 150 train departures each day. This building underwent remodeling that included a taller central tower and modified roofline before being destroyed by fire in 1915.

Present-day building

Construction of the existing depot commenced in 1917 but was postponed due to World War I and ultimately finished in 1923.

At its height, the depot accommodated nine railroads and processed over 20 million pieces of mail every year destined for the nearby St. Paul Central Downtown Post Office. During the 1920s, it managed 282 train movements daily across nine platforms and eighteen tracks. Most trains operated as stub terminals because track ownership west of the station required trains to reverse to a wye track to access other lines.

The Saint Paul Union Depot Company oversaw 9.24 miles (14.9 km) of local trackage and terminal facilities including the depot itself. This operation was coordinated with the Minnesota Transfer Railway Company by a joint board representing all nine tenant railroads.

Beginning in the 1920s, rail passenger numbers declined due to growing competition from automobiles and airlines. The Great Depression accelerated this decline, prompting railroads to seek innovations. The U.S. streamliner era started in 1934 with Chicago, Burlington and Quincy's Zephyr, which completed a demonstration run from Chicago to Denver in just over six hours. This success motivated efforts to introduce faster trains serving both Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

The first locomotive built in Minnesota, named William Crooks, was displayed at the depot from 1955 until its closure in 1971; it was then moved to Duluth’s Lake Superior Railroad Museum.

Early high-speed rail service

On January 2, 1935, the Chicago and North Western Railway introduced the high-speed express train 400 between Saint Paul and Chicago, cutting travel time from roughly ten hours down to seven. Time described it as "the fastest train scheduled on the American Continent." The C&NW beat rival plans for 6½-hour service launched that spring by competitors such as the Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha and the Burlington Route's Twin Cities Zephyr, which soon matched the 400’s timetable.

The Burlington Zephyrs were pioneers as streamlined diesel-electric trains serving the Twin Cities area, initially operating in an articulated design. The 400 (later called Twin Cities 400) appeared in 1939 featuring conventional car connections. Milwaukee Road’s Hiawatha ran with streamlined steam locomotives—referred to as "speedlined"—and by 1936, the Twin Cities Zephyrs had introduced a second daily trainset; by 1939, the Hiawatha provided both morning and afternoon trips between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago.

The Morning Hiawatha likely held records as one of the fastest steam-powered trains globally on certain segments: its Sparta-to-Portage run was scheduled at 58 minutes—averaging —with speeds frequently surpassing . Milwaukee Road’s class F7 locomotives were engineered for reserve speeds up to , probably accumulating more miles at or above than any other steam engines.

Burlington's diesel-powered Zephyrs also maintained high speeds necessary to cover routes about longer than their competitors’. A section through southwestern Wisconsin demanded an average speed of .

Eventually, service by the Hiawathas, Zephyrs, and 400 achieved travel times around six hours and fifteen minutes between St. Paul and Chicago; at one point, the Morning Zephyr completed this journey in exactly six hours. In the 1950s, new federal regulations required expensive upgrades like advanced signaling systems along these corridors; despite this investment, maximum speeds remained near . Facing competition from faster cars and improved highways, ridership declined steadily making these five daily high-speed trains financially unsustainable.

Additional significant trains operating from 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)

Conclusion of operations

Service for the Twin Cities 400 ceased on July 23, 1963.

When Amtrak assumed control of most passenger rail services on May 1, 1971, it centralized Twin Cities operations at the Minneapolis Great Northern Depot. The Burlington (later Burlington Northern) Zephyrs discontinued service on April 30, 1971, coinciding with the depot’s closure. The last train to depart from the depot was the Afternoon Zephyr, heading to Minneapolis. Typically, it ran combined with the Empire Builder and North Coast Limited between Chicago and St. Paul, except on Fridays when it operated independently. Since April 30 was a Friday, the Afternoon Zephyr marked the final departure.

Revival and resumption of passenger transit

Community supporters advocated for restoring the depot as the Blue Line light rail project approached completion. The redevelopment plans proposed transforming the depot into a multimodal transit center accommodating Amtrak, Metro Transit light rail, and intercity bus services.

Following 1971, portions of the headhouse were leased to commercial tenants while the United States Postal Service (USPS) utilized the rear section for mail processing activities. The concourse area was adapted for postal use and storage purposes. During the 1970s, train tracks on the train deck were removed and replaced with pavement to facilitate staging of semi-trailer trucks for USPS mail transport and employee parking. A vehicle ramp was constructed into the train deck at Kellogg Boulevard and Broadway Street to provide USPS truck access. In the early 2000s, the upper floors of the headhouse were converted into 33 two-level loft condominiums.

In 2005, funding was secured by Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority to refurbish the station as an intermodal transit hub incorporating Amtrak, Metro Transit light rail, and bus services.

Ramsey County acquired ownership of the depot headhouse in June 2009 for $8.2 million with plans to establish a METRO Green Line light rail station and a future passenger rail hub. In 2010, USPS shifted most truck operations to a bulk mail facility in Eagan, Minnesota, freeing space for station renovation. Demolition of USPS structures obstructing track access commenced in March 2011. During restoration, modifications were made to the USPS ramp to enable track reconstruction on part of the train deck while maintaining bus platform accessibility.

The comprehensive $243 million restoration was completed in November 2012, including $35 million in federal funds from the TIGER program. The station officially reopened on December 8, 2012.

Amtrak service recommenced with the westbound Empire Builder arriving May 7, 2014; its eastbound journey resumed the following day. The service began operating on May 21, 2024, designating St. Paul as its western terminus.

Special events

Since its inauguration in late 2012, the Depot has served as a venue for a wide array of activities, ranging from yoga sessions and weddings to farmers markets, art exhibitions, and festive tree lighting ceremonies.

In December 2014, an operational steam locomotive made its first appearance at St. Paul Union Depot in nearly five decades. The Milwaukee Road 261 along with vintage passenger cars operated short rides under the name "North Pole Express," an event that has been successfully repeated annually through 2022. Additionally, the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train visited the depot in both 2014 and 2015.

On December 9, 2017, a complimentary Northstar Holiday Train service was jointly operated by Metro Transit and BNSF, running between Big Lake and Union Depot. This festive event continued annually until 2019 before being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, the Union Pacific's "Great Race Across the Midwest" tour included a display of Union Pacific 4014 at Union Depot prior to its journey across other Midwestern states.

Union Depot Train Days

Beginning in 2014, "Train Days" has been an annual weekend celebration dedicated to showcasing railroad heritage and future transportation prospects. Originally part of Amtrak’s National Train Day (2014–2015), it was renamed "Union Depot Train Days" in 2016 after the conclusion of National Train Day. The event offers model train layouts, exhibits, vendors specializing in railroad memorabilia, photography opportunities, and public tours of rail equipment stationed on the platform.

The event features participation from numerous railroads and preservation organizations such as Amtrak, BNSF Railway, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Union Pacific, Operation Lifesaver, Lake Superior Railroad Museum, Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (Milwaukee Road 261), Minnesota Transportation Museum, Great Northern Railway Historical Society, and Twin Cities and Western Railroad.

During 2014 and 2015, Union Depot hosted National Train Day with indoor presentations from Minnesota Transportation Museum, Amtrak, BNSF, and Friends of the 261.

The inaugural independent "Union Depot Train Days" event in 2016 marked the depot’s 90th anniversary with indoor displays and outdoor exhibits of rail equipment including Milwaukee Road 261, Amtrak's Exhibit Train, and Soo Line FP7a #2500.

On May 6, 2017, highlights included Amtrak’s veterans’ locomotive, two locomotives from Union Pacific, a TC&W locomotive, and Northern Pacific RPO #1102—which carried mail between Union Depot and Osceola, Wisconsin during the festivities.

The May 5, 2018 event featured equipment from the Minnesota Transportation Museum alongside Union Pacific’s Chicago & Northwestern heritage locomotive. In 2019, notable displays comprised Soo Line 700 from Lake Superior Railroad Museum and Wisconsin & Southern E9-A 101 from Friends of the 261.

Due to pandemic restrictions in 2020, Train Days transitioned to a virtual format but returned to an in-person gathering in 2021. That year’s event showcased special military tribute locomotives from Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific as well as Milwaukee Road E9 32A and Amtrak’s commemorative No.161 painted for its 50th anniversary.

The 2022 edition included restored SD45 locomotives from Duluth (Great Northern 400 and Northern Pacific 3617), Milwaukee Road E9 (MILW 32A), passenger cars from Friends of the 261, heritage locomotives from Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific, an Amtrak ALC-42 unit, a TC&W locomotive, and BNSF freight cars. The following year’s event in 2023 featured two CPKC locomotives, Milwaukee Road 261 and 32A, TC&W 2020, plus GN 192 from Duluth. Plans are underway to hold Train Days again in June 2024.

Amtrak

Two Amtrak routes serve the station. The Empire Builder, named in honor of Saint Paul entrepreneur James J. Hill, who established the Great Northern Railroad, travels westward to Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon, and southeastward to Chicago. Additionally, St. Paul acts as the western endpoint for the Borealis, an extended version of the Hiawatha that supplements the Empire Builder route between Chicago and St. Paul.

The Empire Builder originally stopped at this station from 1929 until 1971. After Amtrak's formation, service was consolidated at Minneapolis' Great Northern Station in 1971 and then shifted to Saint Paul's Midway Station in 1978. Following prolonged negotiations with railroad companies (Canadian Pacific Railway, BNSF Railway, and Union Pacific Railroad) and completion of new signal installations on the Merriam Park Subdivision, service resumed at Union Depot in 2014.

The westbound Empire Builder arrives from Chicago around 10:30 p.m., while the eastbound train reaches the station close to breakfast hours. The westbound Borealis arrives approximately at 6:29 p.m. and departs for Chicago at 11:50 a.m. Passengers can also access an Amtrak Thruway connection to Duluth via Jefferson Lines. In Amtrak schedules, this location is listed as St. Paul-Minneapolis.

Light rail

Serving as the eastern endpoint of the Metro Green Line, the depot links St. Paul with Minneapolis, terminating at Target Field station in Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood. The light rail stop is situated directly in front of the headhouse rather than underneath it.

The Green Line began operations on June 14, 2014. Utility relocation efforts started in August 2009 ahead of final funding approval, with track laying taking place between 2011 and 2012. Although passenger service concludes at Union Depot, tracks continue beyond it to reach the line’s maintenance facility.

Intercity bus service

Greyhound Lines returned to Saint Paul Union Depot in March 2014 following a two-year hiatus, providing at least six daily departures along with weekend schedules.
Jefferson Lines transitioned their services from Midway Station to Union Depot in 2013.
Megabus also operates out of Union Depot, enhancing intercity bus connections.

Local and regional bus service

Metro Transit operates routes 3, 16, 21, 54, 63, 70, 94, 262, 350, 351, 361, 364, and 417.
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority serves routes 480, 484, and 489.

Planned services

The depot is envisioned as a central hub integrating intercity travel with local and regional buses, light rail, and future commuter rail lines.

Light rail and bus rapid transit

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is planned along the Rush Line Corridor, connecting St. Paul with White Bear Lake, with its southern terminus located at St. Paul Union Depot. The Gateway Corridor (Gold Line) will also utilize BRT technology to link St. Paul and Woodbury. The proposed Red Rock Corridor is intended as BRT with possible conversion to commuter rail; however, progress is currently paused due to low ridership figures.

The Riverview Corridor will function as a hybrid LRT/modern streetcar route connecting St. Paul Union Depot with Mall of America, sharing tracks with the Metro Green Line between Central Station and Union Depot Station.

Regional rail

Several freight rail corridors departing from St. Paul Union Depot are candidates for enhancement to support regional passenger transit. MnDOT has evaluated potential routes connecting to Mankato, Northfield, and Minneapolis, with possible expansions extending westward. A 2010 plan by MnDOT outlines an expansion of regional rail services linking the Twin Cities with rural areas in Minnesota and adjacent states, including lines that serve Saint Paul.

Intercity rail

Once primarily served by the overnight Empire Builder, St. Paul Union Depot is set to receive increased intercity rail options beginning May 21, 2024, when Amtrak introduces the Borealis. This service extends the Hiawatha route from Milwaukee to St. Paul, providing daily connections between Union Depot and Chicago. The Borealis replaces previous routes such as the North Star and the Twin Cities Hiawatha. Proposed plans include further extensions reaching Minneapolis Target Field Station and St. Cloud.

High-speed rail

Efforts to establish trains traveling faster than have been ongoing since 1991. The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative (MWRRI), spearheaded by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, envisions a high-speed link between the Twin Cities operating at speeds up to , aiming for a travel time of approximately five and a half hours to Saint Paul. Additionally, the French national railway operator SNCF, known for managing the TGV network, has suggested trains capable of reaching speeds up to .

Local significance

Prior to its December 2012 reopening, Josh Collins, spokesperson for the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority, characterized the station as poised to become "the living room of Saint Paul."

Architecture

The Union Depot’s headhouse showcases strong neoclassical design elements, highlighted by imposing Doric columns framing its façade. The concourse and waiting area leading to the platforms are recognized as prominent architectural landmarks within the city. Crafted by Charles Frost, the waiting room incorporates skylights that were darkened during World War II and later restored in preparation for the 2012 reopening.

The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Renovation efforts along with new construction were undertaken by Hammel, Green and Abrahamson Architects & Engineers (HGA).

Railway mapping

Railroads originating from St. Paul, including the Great Northern and Northern Pacific lines, designated this depot as milepost zero—a convention that continues today in BNSF Railway schedules and mile markers.

Other rail stations in the Twin Cities

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot Freight House and Train Shed – Minneapolis hub for passenger services of Milwaukee Road, Soo Line, and Rock Island Railroad; currently repurposed
Minneapolis Great Northern Depot – formerly served by Chicago and North Western Railway, Great Northern Railway, and Northern Pacific
Chicago Great Western Railway station located on south Washington Avenue, Minneapolis
Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway station situated on north 5th Street, Minneapolis
Midway Station – previous Amtrak facility
Target Field Station – terminus of the Northstar Line commuter rail

Proposals for Regional and High-Speed Rail

Other Stations Initially Closed and Later Revived

Kansas City Union Station – ceased operations in 1985, reopened in 2002 for Amtrak services
Cincinnati Union Terminal – closed in 1972, recommissioned in 1991 to accommodate Amtrak

Sources

Mortenson awarded contract for $150 million St. Paul Union Depot transit center, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, 2009
Diers, John (1913). St. Paul Union Depot. University of Minnesota Press.
Mack, Doug (2004). Goodbye Mail, Hello Rail. Professor Yeti.
Nelson, Tim (2005). Post office proposes Eagan move, Saint Paul Pioneer Press.

External links