Union Depot
Saint Paul's Union Depot is an historic railroad station and transit hub located in the Lowertown neighbourhood of the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It serves inter-city rail, inter-city bus, and local bus services.
There actually have been two Union Depots in St. Paul. The first 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 remodelled with a taller central tower and other alterations to the roof line. This station burned in 1915.
The current structure was started in 1917 but was not completed until 1923 because World War I caused 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 neighbouring St. Paul Central Downtown Post Office annually. At its peak in the 1920's, there were 282 train movements daily. The waiting room stood atop nine platforms serving 18 tracks; the eight northern ones closest to the head-house were stub-end tracks, while the other ten ran through. However, track ownership and track 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.
Union Depot
Saint Paul's Union Depot is an historic railroad station and transit hub located in the Lowertown neighbourhood of the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It serves inter-city rail, inter-city bus, and local bus services.
There actually have been two Union Depots in St. Paul. The first 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 remodelled with a taller central tower and other alterations to the roof line. This station burned in 1915.
The current structure was started in 1917 but was not completed until 1923 because World War I caused 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 neighbouring St. Paul Central Downtown Post Office annually. At its peak in the 1920's, there were 282 train movements daily. The waiting room stood atop nine platforms serving 18 tracks; the eight northern ones closest to the head-house were stub-end tracks, while the other ten ran through. However, track ownership and track 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.