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. The station has an elevation of .

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.

History

thumb|left|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. The Great Northern Depot was later demolished.

thumb|left|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.<!-- 515,444 total Builder passengers, 133k boardings+alightings at this station, so 67k/515k is about 1/8 -->

After opening in 1978, the station briefly served the North Coast Hiawatha until that service ended in 1979. 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, 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. 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.

Future

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. The Borealis started service on May 21, 2024 without using the station.

<gallery gallery mode=packed heights=140px>

File:Two trains at Midway station, May 20, 1978.jpg|Westbound North Coast Hiawatha (left) and eastbound North Star (right) meet at Midway station, May 1978

File:Minneapolis St. Paul - Amtrak Station (6251527662).jpg|Switching cars en route for the Empire Builder

File:Minneapolis St. Paul - Amtrak Station (6250985811).jpg|Private railroad cars were conveniently stored on sidings at the station

File:Amtrak (52660469832).jpg|Interior of the abandoned station

</gallery>

See also

  • Amtrak
  • Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot Freight House and Train Shed
  • Empire Builder
  • Minneapolis Great Northern Depot
  • North Coast Hiawatha
  • North Star (Amtrak train)
  • Saint Paul Union Depot

Notes

References

  • Amtrak&nbsp;– Stations&nbsp;– St. Paul, MN – Minneapolis, archived page on web.archive.org (10 Feb 2014)
  • St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN (MSP)--Great American Stations (Amtrak), archived page on web.archive.org (2 Nov 2012)
  • St. Paul-Minneapolis Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide – Train Web)
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul's Midway Station on subwaynut.com
  • March 2004 Photo by Greg Smith (Amtrak Photo Archives)