Amtrak to start serving St. Paul's Union Depot on May 7

Passenger-rail service will return to Union Depot in St. Paul, Minn., on May 7 via Amtrak's Empire Builder route from Chicago, Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority (RCRRA) and Amtrak officials announced yesterday.

Beginning May 7, westbound Empire Builder trains will arrive at the station at 10:03 p.m. and depart at 10:10 p.m. As of May 8, eastbound Empire Builder trains will be scheduled to arrive at 7:52 a.m. and depart at 8 a.m.

The Amtrak station on 730 Transfer Road will close after the Chicago-bound Empire Builder train departs that morning. Operations will move to Union Depot's Kellogg Entry at 240 Kellogg Blvd., E., in the Lowertown neighborhood of St. Paul, for the arrival of the evening train, RCRRA and Amtrak officials said in a press release.

Owned by RCRRA, Union Depot was reopened as a multi-modal transportation hub in 2012.

"Our beautifully restored building is achieving our vision as a multi-modal transit facility and a unique gathering place for people — whether they are travelers passing through, living in St. Paul, stopping in the area for business, or here to attend one of many social or cultural events this region has to offer," said RCRRA Chairman and Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega. "It has been more than 42 years since Union Depot welcomed rail passengers through its doors in downtown St. Paul."

The authority and Amtrak invite the community to celebrate inaugural Amtrak trains at Union Depot with a free event celebrating National Train Day on May 10.