Merriam Park Subdivision

Canadian Pacific Railway
Merriam Park Subdivision
Legend

Minnesota Commercial Railway
Minnesota Commercial/Canadian Pacific
Short Line BridgeMississippi River
Prospect Park
Interstate 94
416.0 Merriam Parkto Minnesota Commercial/Midway station
Interstate 94
Interstate 35E
412.0 Fordson Junctionto former Ford Twin Cities Assembly
411.2 Chestnut Streetto Union Pacific Mankato Subdivision
Robert Streetto Union Pacific State Street Spur
Saint Paul Union Depot
to BNSF St. Paul Subdivision and Midway Subdivision
and Union Pacific Altoona Subdivision
408.9 Hoffman Avenue
407.4 Pig's Eye Yard
River Subdivision

The Canadian Pacific Railway Merriam Park Subdivision or Merriam Park Sub, also known as the Short Line, is a railway line in Saint Paul, Minnesota, which runs from Pig's Eye Yard and the CP River Subdivision in the east to the Short Line Bridge over the Mississippi River in the west, where rails continue as part of the Minnesota Commercial Railway.[1] It was named for John L. Merriam, a Minnesota banker and politician.[2] Completed by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad in 1880, it shortened the route Milwaukee Road trains took between downtown Saint Paul and downtown Minneapolis. Previous trains would exit Saint Paul and follow the Mississippi River southwest until crossing at Fort Snelling where they would follow the path of today's Hiawatha Avenue (Minnesota State Highway 55) and METRO Blue Line toward the Milwaukee Road Depot. Originally built as an interurban route, it was eventually converted for heavy rail traffic because the Twin City Rapid Transit streetcar system had taken over the local transit market.

Passenger trains continued to use the Short Line into Minneapolis until 1971 when the Hiawatha stopped service with the formation of Amtrak.[3] Amtrak's Empire Builder continues to use the eastern portion of this line today, but the train exits the subdivision to the north into Minnesota Commercial Railway trackage to reach Midway station in Saint Paul. Amtrak is expected to return to using the Saint Paul Union Depot in 2012, but will likely keep routing trains the same way.

References

  1. Don Winter. "Merriam Park to Chestnut Street".
  2. Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 437.
  3. John A. Weeks III. "Short Line Bridge". Highways, Byways, And Bridge Photography. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
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