Bob CollinsPeople who turned out at Union Depot in St. Paul last night for the first passenger train to stop at the renovated station had to wait. The Empire Builder was late.
Judging from this Pioneer Press video today, railroad buffs, a few reporters, and a couple of officials far outnumbered people getting on or off.
While the train is envisioned as an integral part of a transportation infrastructure, for many people it’s entertainment.
MPR News’ Matt Sepic reported that among the passengers getting off the train last night, was a woman who flew to Chicago, just to ride the train back to St. Paul.
“It was fun to be on the train and so relaxing to just glide along and look at the countryside and not have to worry about driving, not the headache of flying,” Nancy Anderson told Sepic. “Just get on the train and go.”
By the way, the Empire Builder going east is expected to be really late today into St. Paul.
