Minot station is a train station in Minot, North Dakota served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station is located at the site of the former Great Northern Railway station, adjacent to the Minot Public Library, and close to Minot's City Hall and Downtown Minot.

Minot, ND
The station building at Minot after the 2008 restoration
General information
Location400 1st Avenue S.W.
Minot, North Dakota
United States
Coordinates48°14′10″N 101°17′55″W / 48.2361°N 101.2987°W / 48.2361; -101.2987
Owned byBNSF Railway
Line(s)BNSF Glasgow Subdivision
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks2
Construction
ParkingYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: MOT
History
OpenedJune 18, 1893[1][2]
Rebuilt1910, 1975, 2008–2010
Passengers
FY 202319,962[3] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Stanley
toward Seattle or Portland
Empire Builder Rugby
toward Chicago
Former services
Preceding station Great Northern Railway Following station
Ralston
toward Seattle
Main Line Surrey
toward St. Paul
Main Line
Location
Map

Minot is a service stop for Amtrak's daily Empire Builder, which also serves six other cities in North Dakota. This is the only scheduled service stop—20 minute refuel and crew change—between Minneapolis, Minnesota and Havre, Montana. Minot station is the busiest Amtrak station in the state.

Amtrak Empire Builder at Minot, 1991

The station was built in 1905 by the Great Northern Railway. It originally featured a brick exterior and a gabled roof. In 1975, the station was modernized; a stucco exterior and a flat roofline drastically altered the appearance of the depot. According to Great American Stations, the Amtrak Depot Restoration Committee used federal, state and city funds to renovate the station in recent years. In 2008, the brick exterior and gabled roof were restored, while the renovation of the interior was completed in Fall 2010. However, flooding in the summer of 2011 damaged the interior of the main waiting room, which was then closed for repairs. A small temporary waiting room was opened in early Nov 2011 for Empire Builder passengers to use until the main waiting room was repaired.

In fall 2012, Amtrak proceeded with the next round of improvements, including repairs to the waiting room's tile floor and wall paneling. Work was completed by April 2013 and a few weeks later, on National Train Day, the city held an open house at the depot. That September, 15 wood benches were installed in the main waiting room. The Minot Area Community Foundation, which supports both local and national charities and charitable causes, funded the project through a $30,000 grant.[4]

The platform, tracks and station building are all owned by BNSF Railway.

Minot City Transit does not directly serve the station; however, buses travel north-south on both Broadway and 6th Street and may be flagged down at any street corner.

Bibliography

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  • Allen, W.F. (1893). Travelers Official Guide of the Railway and Steam Navigation Lines in the United States and Canada. New York, New York: National Railway Publication Company. Retrieved November 22, 2021.

Notes and references

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  1. ^ Allen 1893, p. 500.
  2. ^ "The Railroads". The Detroit Free Press. June 18, 1893. p. 19. Retrieved November 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of North Dakota" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  4. ^ "Minot Station". Amtrak's Great American Stations. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
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  Media related to Minot (Amtrak station) at Wikimedia Commons