Greyhound to end service from St. Paul

Greyhound announced that it will not station buses in the St. Paul Union Depot transit hub when it opens at the end of the year.

The company will instead focus on express bus lines from its Minneapolis station, said Greyhound spokesperson Jen Biddinger. Greyhound's existing St. Paul station will close in early May.

"Rather than operate two stations there in the Twin Cities, we plan, again, to close our St. Paul operation, effective May 6, and consolidate service at our Minneapolis station," Biddinger said. "It's really due to the expansion of Greyhound Express which is a more direct service with fewer stops."

Greyhound's departure won't mean a significant traffic loss for Union Depot, Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority spokesperson Josh Collins said. Jefferson Lines will operate a regional buses out of the depot.

"We're disappointed to see Greyhound leave, but they have a changing business model, and we know the economy is difficult and that might be affecting businesses in different ways," Collins said. "We are still looking forward to providing an excellent array of transportation services at Union Depot despite that."

Union Depot is currently undergoing a $243 million renovation. Collins said much of the ongoing costs of the depot will be borne by retail establishments, not service providers like bus companies.

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