In 2014 and 2015, Union Depot hosted National Train Day events with various indoor displays and platform displays from the Minnesota Transportation Museum, Amtrak, BNSF and Friends of the 261. In 2016 the depot hosted its first "Union Depot Train Days" to celebrate the building's 90th Anniversary. Various displays, vendors, and photographers were featured inside the depot. Outside featured numerous rail equipment, featuring Milwaukee Road 261, Amtrak's Exhibit Train, and Soo Line FP7a #2500, among others. On May 6, 2017, featured railroad equipment included Amtrak's veteran's locomotive, two Union Pacific locomotives, a TC&W locomotive, and Northern Pacific RPO #1102. NP RPO #1102 had the distinction of being the "Last Mail Train" as Train Day attendees had mail transported inside the car from Union Depot to Osceola, Wisconsin. On May 5, 2018, Minnesota Transportation Museum equipment along with Union Pacific's Chicago & Northwestern 'heritage' locomotive were on display. Train Days 2019 featured Soo Line 700 from LSRM and Wisconsin & Southern E9-A 101 from the Friends of the 261. In 2020, "Train Days" was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but returned in person for 2021. Because "Train Days" was held on the anniversary of "D-Day" in 2021, Union Pacific & Canadian Pacific displayed special military commemorative locomotives alongside Milwaukee Road E9 32A & Amtrak 161, specially painted for Amtrak's 50th anniversary. Train Days returns in 2022, featuring two restored SD45s from Duluth, GN 400 and NP 3617, MILW 32A along with multiple Friends of the 261 passenger cars, Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific heritage locomotives, an Amtrak ALC-42, a TC&W locomotive and some BNSF freight cars. Services Amtrak Serving this station is the Empire Builder, named to honor Saint Paul-based mogul James J. Hill who constructed the Great Northern Railroad, and whose nickname was "The Empire Builder". Westbound trains head for Spokane, Washington and split there to serve both Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon; eastbound trains head for Chicago. The Empire Builder originally stopped at the station from 1929 until 1971. In 1971, Amtrak consolidated all passenger rail service for the Twin Cities at the Great Northern Station in Minneapolis, and in 1978 moved to the Midway Station in Saint Paul, about halfway between the downtowns of the two cities. Service returned to the Union Depot from Midway in 2014 after it was delayed for almost two years from the depot's initial grand re-opening in 2012 due to