I've previously written about Denver's fastracks program that will be bringing a massive rail-transit system to the city. This article is about the hub for that infrastructure, a newly refurbished Union Station in the heart of downtown Denver and the trials & tribulations that are bringing it forth. When all is said and done, in about ten years, the billions being spent in Denver will set the stage for that city's growth & commerce for the next century.

St Paul has a beautiful Union Depot that is planned to undergo its own renaissance as a rail transit hub. Connections between the Central Corridor and potential future commuter rail lines Red Rock and Rush Line and the eventually relocationof the Twin Cities Amtrak hub from the abysmal Midway station will help bring some of the bustle back to downtown St Paul.

Minneapolis, to my knowledge, has no such plans for a grand rail transit hub like Union Depot, and perhaps one that large isn't even necessary. The intersection of the Central Corridor & Hiawatha LRTs and Northstar Commuter rail line will open next year at the Intermodal Station which is part of the new Twins Ballpark. With one more potential LRT line on deck in the Southwest Corridor, and the Red Rock corridor considering stops in both St Paul and Minneapolis - one has to wonder just where all these people will go. As other commuter rail lines are being considered - Bethel & Duluth, Norwood/Young America, or not considered (Dan Patch) - Minneapolis should start considering just where all those trains are going to go. I don't believe Minneapolis needs a Union Depot like structure, but it would be good for both downtowns to have a major transit hub. St Paul's Union Depot is game-ready for Amtrak's expansion into high-speed rail transit between the Twin Cities and Chicago. The Midway station already serves as a station for replenishing supplies - Union Depot could also fill that role. Minneapolis needs to consider a facility that can accomodate the more local transit required to bring people into its downtown - including a second Amtrak stop.