Superior Union Station

The Superior Union Depot or Superior station of Superior, Wisconsin was built in 1905, replacing a previous depot, which had burned down in 1904. It was built of Lake Superior brown sandstone and designed by Duluth architects German and Lignell. The depot primarily served the Great Northern Railway, Northern Pacific Railway and Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway.

Superior, WI
Inter-city rail station
A Burlington Northern passenger train at the station in April 1971
General information
Location	933 Oakes Avenue, Superior, Wisconsin 54880
Coordinates	46°43′36″N 92°06′27″W
Line(s)	BNSF Railway
Platforms	1 side platform
History
Opened	1905 April 15, 1975 (Amtrak)[1]
Closed	1971 1984
Original company	Great Northern Railway
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Duluth Terminus North Star Sandstone toward Chicago or Saint Paul–Midway Arrowhead Sandstone toward Minneapolis Preceding station Great Northern Railway Following station Saunders toward St. Paul St. Paul – Duluth Duluth Terminus Saunders toward Grand Forks Grand Forks – Duluth Preceding station Northern Pacific Railway Following station Saunders toward Minneapolis Minneapolis – Duluth Duluth Terminus Duluth Terminus Duluth – Ashland East Superior toward Ashland

Burlington Northern (the company absorbing the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific) ran the final passenger trains (Badger and Gopher, both to Minneapolis and St. Paul) through the station.^[2] The Northern Pacific Railway ran local unnamed service to St. Paul and Minneapolis^[3] and service to Staples, Minnesota,^[4] into the later 1960s.

Passenger service ceased upon the formation of Amtrak in 1971, but resumed between Minneapolis and Superior in 1975.^[5] Wisconsin Governor Patrick Lucey spoke at the station dedication.^[6] Superior was served by the Arrowhead and later the North Star between Chicago and Duluth.^[5] Service ceased in 1984.^[7] The depot continues to exist as a business.

References

1. Associated Press (April 16, 1975). "Amtrak Opens Twin Ports Service". The Pioneer. Bemidji, Minnesota. p. 20. Retrieved January 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Burlington Northern, Table 11". Official Guide of the Railways. 102 (12). National Railway Publication Company. May 1970.
3. "Northern Pacific Railway, Table 6". Official Guide of the Railways. 102 (12). National Railway Publication Company. December 1966.
4. "Northern Pacific Railway, Table 5". Official Guide of the Railways. 101 (1). National Railway Publication Company. June 1968.
5. Office, United States Rail Services Planning (1978). Evaluation Report of the Secretary of Transportation's Preliminary Recommendations on Amtrak's Route Structure: Report of the Rail Services Planning Office to the Secretary of Transportation. Interstate Commerce Commission, Rail Services Planning Office. p. 105. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
6. Lucey, Patrick J. (1975). Remarks at the Inaugural Run of "the Arrowhead" Amtrak, Superior, Wisconsin. Office of the Governor. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
7. Amtrak (October 28, 1984). "Amtrak National Train Timetables" (PDF). timetables.org. The Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 49. Retrieved December 23, 2021.

External links

• Media related to Superior (Amtrak station) at Wikimedia Commons
• Superior, Wisconsin – TrainWeb

The Amtrak North Star at Superior Union Station, 1982