Staples Subdivision

BNSF Railway

Legend
 Staples Subdivision 
to KO Subdivision
250.2 East Dilworth
spur to Felton
248.8 Glyndon
236.1 Witherow
234.4 Hawley
230.6 Manitoba Junctionspur
222.0 Lake Park
217.2 Audubon
213.6 Richards Spur
Canadian Pacific Railway
210.1 Detroit LakesEmpire Builder
Frazee
189.3 Perham
178.5 New York Mills
Bluffton
former Northern Pacific branch
165.6 Wadena

spur former Great Northern
159.0 Verndale
Aldrich
150.1 Dower Lake
148.0 StaplesEmpire Builder
140.2
147.8
to Brainerd Subdivision
134.0 Philbrook
127.8 Lincoln
Cushing
116.5 Randall
110.8 Darling
spur to Camp Ripley
106.0 Little Falls
Mississippi River
103.3 Gregory
former Soo Line
now Soo Line Trail

95.7 Royalton
88.7 Rice
Watab
Watab River
78.4 Sartell
Sauk Rapids

73.9
St. Cloud
and Northern Lines Railway

Empire Builder

Cable
62.7 Clear Lake
57.5 Becker
47.0 Big LakeNorthstar Line
38.6 Elk River
Elk River(Metro Transit) Northstar Line
RamseyNorthstar Line
26.8 AnokaNorthstar Line
Coon Rapids - RiverdaleNorthstar Line
to Hinckley Subdivision
21.1 Coon Creek
FridleyNorthstar Line
15.5 Interstate
East Interstate
13.9 Northtown Yard
to Midway Subdivision

The Staples Subdivision or Staples Sub is a railway line running about 227 miles (365 km) from Dilworth to Fridley, Minnesota (near Minneapolis). 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. As of 2015, most of the route hosted an average of 60 trains per day, and there were 80 trains per day near Fridley.[1] The line meets the KO Subdivision in the west at East Dilworth, and runs to Interstate in Fridley, at the limits of Northtown Yard. Beyond Northtown, the rails continue as the Midway Subdivision.[2][3][4] U.S. Highway 10 closely follows the rail line for a majority of the distance between Dilworth and Fridley, Minnesota.

This subdivision is mostly double track with only 2 segments of single track. An approximately three mile segment of single track exists between Gregory and Little Falls and sees the crossing of the Mississippi River. The second, approximately 25 mile, segment of single track runs between Darling and Philbrook. As of March 2016, there are no immediate plans to double track these remaining portions of single track.[5]

This line has hosted Amtrak's Empire Builder since 1979, and the train makes stops along the Staples Subdivision in St. Cloud, Staples, and Detroit Lakes. Since November 2009, it has also hosted the Northstar Line commuter train, with stops in Fridley, Coon Rapids, Anoka, Ramsey, Elk River, and Big Lake.

This line also features connections to two subdivisions heading to Duluth, Minnesota. The Brainerd Subdivision breaks off to the east in Staples, while the Hinckley Subdivision runs north from Coon Creek Junction in Coon Rapids. Mileposts are counted from near the Saint Paul Union Depot for the southern half of the line from Fridley to near Staples, but northwest of Staples, distance is measured from Duluth.[6]

References

  1. Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations (January 2015). "Minnesota Freight Railroad Map" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  2. Don Winter. "Fargo to Staples". Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  3. Don Winter. "Staples to Coon Creek". Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  4. Don Winter. "Coon Creek to University". Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  5. "BNSF Announces Capital Programs in Minnesota and New Mexico". Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  6. Don Winter. "Staples to Carlton". Retrieved June 2, 2010.


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