I don't recall the past SPUD trackage (* see later comment) but this Google map Link:
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9467552,-93.0851925,119m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu
shows 3 tracks under the head house - 2 are thru tracks which Amtrak uses
That 3rd dead end track I believe was planned for perhaps some inter city rail SPUD to Target Field ?
That track could be extended to make another thru track.
The real complexity of this is the 60 some freight trains transiting the Division Street WYE just
east of SPUD - zoom out on that map link - BNSF CP CN UP TCW (more*) all cross travel blocking
access to/from SPUD in some way. Some of these freights have 135+ cars and as many as 6 locomotives - - -
It takes what seems forever for this WYE to have clear trackage.
Amtrak #7 is really hampered by this - leaves CUS on time and progresses fairly well thru Wisconsin
stops and up river to the crossing at Hastings then delay set in waiting for clear tracks thru the WYE
to SPUD - thus on an On-Time arrival snatches delay from the jaws of what coulda shoulda been
schedule.
Interesting a brief history in the mid 19th Century there were 2 depots in Minneapolis the Great Northern
located where the Federal Reserve Bank is Hennepin Avenue river crossing and the Milwaukee
3rd and Washington Avenue - The Milwaukee depot building is still there. From these two depots
train travel was possible to just about anywhere in the upper midwest.
In St. Paul the venerable SPUD served for years until the USPS took over the building for a regional
mail distribution sorting center causing Amtrak to move its operation to the Midway depot location.
This location has been brought up time and time again to be used again as a joint operation between
the Twin Cities replacing SPUD Target Field creating one uniform railroad transportation center.
Problem here location location location out in between the cities in a Commercial Rail freight yard.
Zoom map link out and follow the tracks to see this or use this link:
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9629944,-93.1845059,424m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu
That
dark rectangular shape building in the center of the link is the old Midway depot.
No hotels - no night entertainment - limited restaurants - a good block walk to the exisitng
Green Line lite rail (in the winter or weather related issues who wants to put up with that !)
SPUD is the answer but future trains traveling north to say Duluth need to stop in or near
downtown Minneapolis and perhaps have good connections to the MSP airport ?
There is plenty of room for Amtrak trains 7 & 8 and the 7X? & 8X? second Chicago train.
The 7X? & 8X? could easily start in Minneapolis
The trips to Duluth (I heard as many a 4 daily?) can certainly be fitted into a schedule - - -
What do the airlines do with a limited number of gates to work with ? Think about it !
As for private trains these too can be fitted into the/a schedule.
* Comment:
Walking the great hall at SPUD there must have been perhaps 8 tracks - some where
thru tracks 3 or 4 ?
Some of these must have been back ended to exit the way they arrived
to go the Midway subdivision route to Minneapolis and other points !
I remember of a Cub Scout outing going from the Milwaukee Depot in Minneapolis
via the Short Line to the SPUD in St. Paul and returning to the Great Northern depot via the Midway SD.