The Midway Subdivision or Midway Sub is a 12.4 miles (20 km) railway line in Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

 and Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...

 on the BNSF Railway

BNSF Railway

The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...

's Northern Transcon which runs from Chicago, Illinois to Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

. This is former Great Northern Railway trackage, and now forms the southern set of BNSF tracks running between the two cities. The companion route running slightly to the north is the St. Paul Subdivision

St. Paul Subdivision

The St. Paul Subdivision or St. Paul Sub is an railway line running from Minneapolis through neighboring Saint Paul, Minnesota and on into Saint Paul's southeastern suburbs along the Mississippi River. It is a segment of BNSF Railway's Northern Transcon which runs from Chicago, Illinois to...

, former Northern Pacific Railway

Northern Pacific Railway

The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...

 tracks. The Midway Subdivision hosted about 23 trains per day as of April 2009.

This line includes access to two intermodal container

Intermodal container

An intermodal container is a standardized reusable steel box used for the safe, efficient and secure storage and movement of materials and products within a global containerized intermodal freight transport system...

 facilities, one operated by Triple Crown Services, and the other at BNSF's Midway Yard. The Minnesota Commercial Railway

Minnesota Commercial Railway

The Minnesota Commercial Railway is a short line railroad in the United States.This railroad operates out of the St. Paul area with service to Minneapolis, Bayport, Hugo, Fridley and New Brighton. It is considered a terminal and switching line. It is based out of a roundhouse on Cleveland Ave. in...

 has multiple connections to this line, and Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

's Midway station

Midway (Amtrak station)

Midway Station is the Amtrak train station in Saint Paul, Minnesota, so named after the Midway area which is roughly halfway between the downtowns of St. Paul and neighboring Minneapolis. Its Amtrak station code is MSP and serves as the only intercity train station for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul...

 is on Minnesota Commercial tracks just to the south of the Midway Yard.

In the west, the Midway Subdivision carries the Northstar Line commuter rail service as it exits the Wayzata Subdivision

Wayzata Subdivision

The Wayzata Subdivision or Wayzata Sub is a railway line that runs about from Willmar to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Currently operated by BNSF Railway, this was part of the Great Northern Railway's transcontinental line from Minneapolis to Seattle, Washington...

 where Target Field station is located. The Wayzata Sub meets the Midway Subdivision at Minneapolis Junction, where the Milwaukee Road 261

Milwaukee Road 261

The Milwaukee Road 261 is a 4-8-4, steam-powered locomotive owned and maintained by a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization known as the Friends of the 261, which runs seasonal train excursions...

 steam locomotive

Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

 is housed. The Northstar Line does not have any stops on the Midway Subdivision, but continues north through Northtown Yard and has its first stop at Fridley

Fridley (Metro Transit station)

Fridley Station is a commuter rail station in Fridley, Minnesota, located at Main Street NE and 61st Avenue NE. It is served by the Northstar Commuter Rail line. The station features bicycle lockers and two park and ride lots with a total capacity of 611 spaces. The commute time to downtown...

 at the southern/eastern end of the Staples Subdivision

Staples Subdivision

The Staples Subdivision or Staples Sub is a railway line running about from Dilworth to Fridley, Minnesota . It is operated by BNSF Railway as part of their Northern Transcon and contains the busiest segment of mainline track in the state, between Coon Rapids and Fridley...

.