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Midway station (Minnesota)

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Coordinates: 44°57′47″N 93°11′05″W / 44.9631°N 93.1846°W / 44.9631; -93.1846
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Midway
Saint Paul, MN
The station as viewed from the northwest in July 2014
General information
Location730 Transfer Road[1]
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55114
United States
Coordinates44°57′47″N 93°11′05″W / 44.9631°N 93.1846°W / 44.9631; -93.1846
Elevation870 feet (270 m)[2]
Owned byAmtrak
Minnesota Commercial (some track)[3]
Platforms1 side platform
1 island platform
Tracks3
Other information
StatusClosed for passenger service
Station codeMSP (former)[3][Note 1]
History
OpenedMarch 1, 1978[4]
ClosedMay 7, 2014[5]
Passengers
FY2013116,991[6] Decrease 2.92% (Amtrak)
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
St. Cloud
toward Seattle or Portland
 Empire Builder
1979–2014
 Red Wing
toward Chicago
Willmar
toward Seattle
 Empire Builder
1978–1979
Cambridge
toward Duluth
 North Star
1978–1981
North Star
1981–1985
 Terminus
Arrowhead
1978–1978
Terminus Twin Cities Hiawatha
1978–1978
 Red Wing
toward Chicago
St. Cloud
toward Seattle
 North Coast Hiawatha
1978–1979
Location
Map

Midway (Saint Paul/Minneapolis) is a former Amtrak intercity train station in the Midway neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It was last served by Amtrak's daily Empire Builder, with service from Chicago, Illinois to Seattle, Washington or Portland, Oregon. When the station opened March 1, 1978, it was also served briefly by the long-distance North Coast Hiawatha (with service from Chicago to Seattle), and the Hiawatha (Chicago to St. Paul) and Arrowhead (Duluth to St. Paul), the latter combined as the North Star (thru service from Chicago to Duluth) later that year.

It was one of the first new stations, designated as a "Type 300A" design, built under the Amtrak Standard Stations Program in 1978. The only other station constructed to "Type 300A" design, Miami station, opened three months later and remains in operation today.

The Midway station was closed for passenger service on May 7, 2014, with passenger service being moved to the restored Saint Paul Union Depot. For a time after its closure the station was still used to service the Empire Builder but was later abandoned. Midway had been a station stop for every Amtrak route in Minnesota until May 2024, when the Borealis began service using Saint Paul Union Depot.

Description

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Station waiting area and upstairs lounge, August 2011

The Midway station is located at 730 Transfer Road[1][7] and is named after the Midway area of Saint Paul.[Note 2] Its Amtrak station code was MSP[1][3][Note 1] and from 1978 to 2014 it served as the only intercity train station for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. The station can be easily accessed from I‑94/US‑12/US‑52.[Note 3] The station has an elevation of 870 feet (270 m).[2]

Prior to closing for passenger service, the station offered an indoor waiting area, ticketing service and a Quik-Trak kiosk, restrooms, payphones, baggage assistance, and checked baggage. Free long and short parking was also available.[9] Station hours were from 6:00 am to 11:45 pm daily.[3]

The station is located next to tracks owned by the Minnesota Commercial Railway and marks a division point between running on the Canadian Pacific Railway (former Milwaukee Road tracks between Chicago and St. Paul) and the BNSF Railway (former Great Northern Railway tracks between Minneapolis and Seattle.) There are two platforms at the station, though the Empire Builder only used the side platform nearest the station building. There is a second island platform that serves two tracks, but it was rarely used. There are also two spurs behind the main platform which are used for storage and display of historic train cars.

Of the six Minnesota stations served by Amtrak, Midway was the busiest for the Fiscal Year 2013 (its last full year of service), boarding or detraining an average of approximately 321 passengers daily (more than twice the ridership all other Minnesota stations combined).[6]

History

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The station under construction, October 1977

When it opened on March 1, 1978, Midway station replaced Minneapolis Great Northern Depot as the sole intercity station in the Twin Cities. Amtrak had opted to consolidate all of its Twin Cities services in Minneapolis when it began operation in 1971, shuttering the Saint Paul Union Depot.[4][10] The Great Northern Depot was later demolished.

The evening westbound Empire Builder at Midway station, May 2011

The primary rail service at this station for most of its existence was the Empire Builder, named to honor Saint Paul-based mogul James J. Hill who constructed the Great Northern Railway, and whose nickname was "The Empire Builder". Westbound trains head for Spokane, Washington (and then split before continuing on to either Seattle, Washington or Portland, Oregon) while eastbound trains head for Chicago. There were several intermittent stops between. The next westbound stop for the Empire Builder was in St. Cloud and the next eastbound stop was in Red Wing, both in Minnesota. About one-eighth of Empire Builder passengers boarded or arrived at this station.

After opening in 1978, the station briefly served the North Coast Hiawatha until that service ended in 1979.[11] The North Coast Hiawatha ran three times per week from Chicago to Seattle with the next westbound stop having also been in St. Cloud and the next eastbound stop having also been in Red Wing. The station was also served by the North Star with services to Chicago and Duluth,[12] with the stop having been in Cambridge, Minnesota and the next southbound stop having been in Red Wing until serviced was truncated from Chicago to this station in 1981. After the North Star was discontinued in 1985, Amtrak continued service to Duluth with its Amtrak Thruway service until 2022.

On May 7, 2014, Amtrak moved its Twin Cities-area stop to the renovated and reopened Saint Paul Union Depot.[5] After a short time of Midway station being closed to the public, but still serving as a service stop for the Empire Builder, the building was abandoned, ending up on St. Paul's vacant property listings.[13][9][14]

Future

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As part of the TCMC project (the Borealis service) the station was noted as being a potential improvement if deemed necessary by Amtrak. Under the proposal the station would be converted to a layover facility, serving as a crew base, light equipment servicing, cleaning, and kitchen.[15] The Borealis started service on May 21, 2024 without using the station.

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  • Westbound North Coast Hiawatha (left) and eastbound North Star (right) meet at Midway station, May 1978
    Westbound North Coast Hiawatha (left) and eastbound North Star (right) meet at Midway station, May 1978
  • Switching cars en route for the Empire Builder
    Switching cars en route for the Empire Builder
  • Private railroad cars were conveniently stored on sidings at the station
    Private railroad cars were conveniently stored on sidings at the station
  • Interior of the abandoned station
    Interior of the abandoned station

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b The station code MSP is now used by the Saint Paul Union Depot.[8]
  2. ^ The Midway area received its name because it is located halfway between Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Moreover, it is also at the midpoint between the North Pole and the Equator.[3]
  3. ^ To access the Midway station from I‑94/US‑12/US‑52 take the Cretin Avenue North/Vandalia Street interchange (Exit 237) and head northeast on Vandalia Street for about two blocks. Turn right and head southeast on University Avenue West for about another block. Turn left (north) onto Transfer Road and continue for about one more block until the station is reached.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "St. Paul, MN – Minneapolis Midway Station (MSP)". Amtrak.com. Amtrak. Archived from the original on April 5, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2015 – via web.archive.org.
  2. ^ a b Nagasaki, Hikki. "USA Rail Guide: Saint Paul-Minneapolis, Minnesota (MSP)". trainweb.org. Archived from the original on May 21, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2015 – via web.archive.org.
  3. ^ a b c d e "St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN (MSP)". www.greatamericanstations.com. Amtrak. Archived from the original on March 11, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2015 – via web.archive.org.
  4. ^ a b "The Empire Builder 75th Anniversary". gnrhs.org. Great Northern Railway Historical Society. June 11, 2004. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Union Depot Officials Announce Amtrak Arrival Date and National Train Day Celebration". www.uniondepot.org. Union Depot. April 2, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2013, State of Minnesota" (PDF). amtrak.com. Amtrak. November 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  7. ^ Amtrak (November 8, 2010). "Amtrak System Timetables". timetables.org. The Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 21. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  8. ^ "St. Paul, MN (MSP)". amtrak.com. Amtrak. Archived from the original on April 5, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  9. ^ a b "What's New". www.allaboardmn.org. All Aboard Minnesota. 2014. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2015 – via web.archive.org. Amtrak plans to stop the Empire Builder at Midway each day to water and service the train and add/drop off coaches and private cars.
  10. ^ Melo, Frederick (May 7, 2014). "After 43 years, St. Paul's Union Depot marks return of passenger trains". twincities.com. St. Paul, Minnesota: MediaNews Group. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  11. ^ Amtrak (April 30, 1978). "National Train Timetables". timetables.org. The Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 42. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  12. ^ Amtrak (April 30, 1978). "National Train Timetables". timetables.org. The Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 37. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  13. ^ Bowen, Douglas John (May 8, 2014). "Amtrak moves into St. Paul Union Depot". Railway Age. Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  14. ^ "Vacant Buildings - Map | Open Data | St Paul". Socrata. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  15. ^ "TCMC Public Presnetation" (PDF). wisconsindot.gov. March 18, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
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