St. Croix Subdivision
Encyclopedia
The St. Croix Subdivision or St. Croix Sub is a rail line operated by the BNSF Railway
. It runs approximately 150 miles from La Crosse, Wisconsin
to Saint Paul, Minnesota
, following the Mississippi River
. It runs through the communities of La Crosse
, Onalaska
, Brice Prairie
, Trempealeau
, East Winona
, Fountain City
, Cochrane
, Buffalo City, Alma
, Nelson
, Pepin
, Stockholm
, Maiden Rock
, Bay City
, Diamond Bluff
, and Prescott, Wisconsin
.
This section of track sees 40-50 trains a day. It is double tracked for most of the 150 miles with exceptions at Prescott, East Winona, and La Crosse.
This route was operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
until that company merged with others to become the Burlington Northern Railroad
. Two of the Burlington Route's merger partners had used this stretch of track to run their passenger trains between Chicago, Illinois and Minneapolis–Saint Paul for many years beforehand: The Northern Pacific Railway
's North Coast Limited
went on the CB&Q, as did the Great Northern Railway's Empire Builder
. The Burlington's own Morning and Afternoon Zephyr
s also used the line. In the late 1970s, these trains were typically running combined between Chicago and the Twin Cities. However, these trains stopped running on the St. Croix Subdivision in 1971 when Amtrak
took over most passenger train service in the United States. The Empire Builder was the only one of these trains to survive, and it was shifted to run on the former route of the Milwaukee Road Hiawatha
.
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
. It runs approximately 150 miles from La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
to Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, following the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. It runs through the communities of La Crosse
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
, Onalaska
Onalaska, Wisconsin
Onalaska is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 18,097. It is part of the La Crosse Metropolitan Area....
, Brice Prairie
Brice Prairie, Wisconsin
Brice Prairie is a census-designated place in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,887 at the 2010 census.It is also an urban reserve area of the city of Onalaska as noted in that municipality's Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan.-Name:Brice Prairie is named after pioneer...
, Trempealeau
Trempealeau, Wisconsin
Trempealeau is a village in Trempealeau County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,529 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Trempealeau.-Geography:Trempealeau is located at ....
, East Winona
East Winona, Wisconsin
East Winona is an unincorporated community in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States, located where Canadian National Railway subsidiary Wisconsin Central Ltd.'s former Green Bay and Western Railroad line meets the BNSF Railway's St. Croix Subdivision. East Winona is located in the town of...
, Fountain City
Fountain City, Wisconsin
Fountain City is a city in Buffalo County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 983 at the 2000 census.-History:Fountain City was originally called Holmes' Landing, after Thomas Holmes, who settled there in 1839...
, Cochrane
Cochrane, Wisconsin
Cochrane is a village in Buffalo County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 435 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cochrane is located at ....
, Buffalo City, Alma
Alma, Wisconsin
Alma is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 942 at the 2000 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Alma. The motto for the city of Alma is: "Step into Living History."-Geography:...
, Nelson
Nelson, Wisconsin
Nelson is a village in Buffalo County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 395 at the 2000 census. The village is surrounded by the Town of Nelson....
, Pepin
Pepin, Wisconsin
Pepin is a village in Pepin County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 837 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Pepin.-History:...
, Stockholm
Stockholm, Wisconsin
Stockholm is a village in Pepin County, Wisconsin, United States, founded in 1854 by immigrants from Karlskoga, Sweden. The population was 97 at the 2000 census...
, Maiden Rock
Maiden Rock, Wisconsin
Maiden Rock is a village in Pierce County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 119 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Maiden Rock. The town is named for a cliff just south of the village...
, Bay City
Bay City, Wisconsin
Bay City is a village in Pierce County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 500 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Bay City is located at ....
, Diamond Bluff
Diamond Bluff, Wisconsin
Diamond Bluff is a town in Pierce County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 479 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.3 square miles , of which, 16.7 square miles of it is land and 1.6 square miles of...
, and Prescott, Wisconsin
Prescott, Wisconsin
Prescott is a city in Pierce County, Wisconsin at the confluence of the St. Croix River and Mississippi River. The population was 4,258 at the 2010 census, making it the second-largest city in the county after River Falls, and the largest entirely within Pierce County.Prescott was home to the...
.
This section of track sees 40-50 trains a day. It is double tracked for most of the 150 miles with exceptions at Prescott, East Winona, and La Crosse.
This route was operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
until that company merged with others to become the Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
. Two of the Burlington Route's merger partners had used this stretch of track to run their passenger trains between Chicago, Illinois and Minneapolis–Saint Paul for many years beforehand: The Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
's North Coast Limited
North Coast Limited
The North Coast Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Bismarck, North Dakota...
went on the CB&Q, as did the Great Northern Railway's Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
. The Burlington's own Morning and Afternoon Zephyr
Twin Cities Zephyr
The Twin Cities Zephyr was a streamlined passenger train service of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad . It was the second Zephyr service introduced by CB&Q following the record-setting Denver–Chicago "dawn to dusk dash" of the Pioneer Zephyr trainset...
s also used the line. In the late 1970s, these trains were typically running combined between Chicago and the Twin Cities. However, these trains stopped running on the St. Croix Subdivision in 1971 when Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
took over most passenger train service in the United States. The Empire Builder was the only one of these trains to survive, and it was shifted to run on the former route of the Milwaukee Road Hiawatha
Twin Cities Hiawatha
The Twin Cities Hiawatha was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , and traveled from Chicago to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The original train takes its name from the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
.