North Star (Amtrak)
Encyclopedia
The North Star was a passenger train operated by Amtrak
along the "Hiawatha Corridor" during the late 1970s and early- to mid-1980s. It originally operated as a Chicago, Illinois–Duluth, Minnesota
train via Saint Paul, Minnesota
, but was soon converted to a Saint Paul–Duluth local. The service relied in part on funding from the state of Minnesota
.
The North Star was introduced in the spring of 1978
, when Amtrak moved Twin Cities operations from the Great Northern Depot
in Minneapolis
to Midway station
in Saint Paul and combined the previous Chicago–Minneapolis Twin Cities Hiawatha
and the Minneapolis–Duluth Arrowhead services into one train. Where the Arrowhead was a 148 miles (238.2 km) local, the North Star was a 573 miles (922.2 km) sleeper
originating in Chicago, Illinois, departing there at 10:30 PM in the initial schedule. It took 8 hours 45 minutes to reach Saint Paul, where there was a 35-minute layover. It then took another 3:45 to reach Duluth for an overall schedule of just over 13 hours from Chicago.
Three other trains shared parts of the North Star route: the quad-weekly Empire Builder (Chicago–Portland, Oregon
/Seattle, Washington
via the Milwaukee Road), the thrice-weekly North Coast Hiawatha (Chicago–Portland, Oregon
/Seattle, Washington
via the Northern Pacific), and the daily Turboliner
(Chicago–Milwaukee). The Empire Builder became a daily train again in 1979 when the North Coast Hiawatha was eliminated.
There were perennial budget battles involving the North Star. In October 1981
cost-cutting measures forced the service to be converted to a Twin Cities–Duluth local, which left the daily Empire Builder as the only Chicago–Twin Cities connection. However, no effort was made to link the schedules of the two trains. At this time, the schedule was 3 hours 35 minutes from Saint Paul to Duluth. It briefly stopped service in September 1982 when Amtrak requested $27,000 in funding to keep it operating as a weekend and peak period train. Duluth businessman Jeno Paulucci
offered a $25,000 donation, with the rest intended to be covered from some other source. U.S. Senator
David Durenberger
(R
-MN) also requested that Amtrak run a financial audit
, which uncovered an extra $100,000 in available funds.
By the end of service in 1985, the North Star was no longer planned to serve Superior, Wisconsin
and was only making intermediate stops in Cambridge
and Sandstone
. State funding for the train was set to run out in March 1985, and the train had been discontinued by the April 28 timetable change.
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...
along the "Hiawatha Corridor" during the late 1970s and early- to mid-1980s. It originally operated as a Chicago, Illinois–Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
train via 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...
, but was soon converted to a Saint Paul–Duluth local. The service relied in part on funding from the state of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
The North Star was introduced in the spring of 1978
1978 in rail transport
-February events:* February 22 - The Waverly tank car explosion was an explosion that occurred in Waverly, Tennessee following a train derailment incident days earlier...
, when Amtrak moved Twin Cities operations from the Great Northern Depot
Minneapolis Great Northern Depot
The Minneapolis Great Northern Depot was a passenger train station that served Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was built in 1913 and demolished in 1978...
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...
to 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...
in Saint Paul and combined the previous Chicago–Minneapolis Twin Cities Hiawatha
Twin Cities Hiawatha
The Twin Cities Hiawatha was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , and traveled from Chicago to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The original train takes its name from the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
and the Minneapolis–Duluth Arrowhead services into one train. Where the Arrowhead was a 148 miles (238.2 km) local, the North Star was a 573 miles (922.2 km) sleeper
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
originating in Chicago, Illinois, departing there at 10:30 PM in the initial schedule. It took 8 hours 45 minutes to reach Saint Paul, where there was a 35-minute layover. It then took another 3:45 to reach Duluth for an overall schedule of just over 13 hours from Chicago.
Three other trains shared parts of the North Star route: the quad-weekly Empire Builder (Chicago–Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
/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...
via the Milwaukee Road), the thrice-weekly North Coast Hiawatha (Chicago–Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
/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...
via the Northern Pacific), and the daily Turboliner
Turboliner
The Amtrak Turboliners are gas turbine trainsets built for Amtrak. The trains were powered by gas turbine engines and ran on diesel fuel. Some were equipped with third rail shoes to enable entry into the underground tunnels approaching Grand Central Terminal and New York Penn Station in New York...
(Chicago–Milwaukee). The Empire Builder became a daily train again in 1979 when the North Coast Hiawatha was eliminated.
There were perennial budget battles involving the North Star. In October 1981
1981 in rail transport
-February events:* February - Amtrak debuts the Desert Wind passenger train between Los Angeles, California, and Ogden, Utah.* February 21 - MBTA discontinues passenger train service to Rhode Island.-May events:...
cost-cutting measures forced the service to be converted to a Twin Cities–Duluth local, which left the daily Empire Builder as the only Chicago–Twin Cities connection. However, no effort was made to link the schedules of the two trains. At this time, the schedule was 3 hours 35 minutes from Saint Paul to Duluth. It briefly stopped service in September 1982 when Amtrak requested $27,000 in funding to keep it operating as a weekend and peak period train. Duluth businessman Jeno Paulucci
Jeno Paulucci
Jeno F. Paulucci was an American businessman and entrepreneur famous for starting over seventy companies during his long career. Paulucci's most well-known ventures included his frozen food company, Michelina's Inc., and food products such as Jeno's Pizza Rolls and the Chun King line of Chinese food...
offered a $25,000 donation, with the rest intended to be covered from some other source. U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
David Durenberger
David Durenberger
David Ferdinand Durenberger is an American politician and a former Republican member of the U.S. Senate from Minnesota.- Early life :...
(R
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
-MN) also requested that Amtrak run a financial audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
, which uncovered an extra $100,000 in available funds.
By the end of service in 1985, the North Star was no longer planned to serve Superior, Wisconsin
Superior, Wisconsin
Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
and was only making intermediate stops in Cambridge
Cambridge, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,520 people, 2,237 households, and 1,353 families residing in the city. The population density was 894.1 people per square mile . There were 2,373 housing units at an average density of 384.4 per square mile...
and Sandstone
Sandstone, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,549 people, 580 households, and 359 families residing in the city. The population density was 292.5 people per square mile . There were 634 housing units at an average density of 119.7 per square mile...
. State funding for the train was set to run out in March 1985, and the train had been discontinued by the April 28 timetable change.
See also
- North Shore Scenic RailroadNorth Shore Scenic RailroadThe North Shore Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad that operates between Duluth, Minnesota and Two Harbors, Minnesota, USA.The railroad is owned by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum and offers several different types of passenger excursion trains between May 28 and October 15 each year...
- Northern Lights ExpressNorthern Lights ExpressThe Northern Lights Express is a proposed passenger rail service running along the corridor between Minneapolis and Duluth primarily in the U.S. state of Minnesota. A portion of the line will run through neighboring Wisconsin to serve Duluth's "Twin Port" of Superior. Plans are to upgrade an...
, a proposed restoration of passenger rail service between the Twin Cities and Duluth