The old Midway Amtrak depot would probably be a good place to store and service the train. I'm sure that MN will want Amtrak to have the 2nd train terminate at SPUD.
Sorry Tadman, I was unclear. I meant exactly what you said: If the train ran through to Big Lake for servicing it would would make sense to carry passengers because free money and free frequency.
SPUS takes good advantage of being on the bluff, so that the concourse is at street level and the tracks are down below. The only drawback might be one that's relevant here: the light rail is out in the street, not, as in Dallas, more or less across the platform from the trains. But there is a bus terminal around one of the former platforms. I have some pictures I took when I was there, but I can't seem to figure out how to post pictures here today. https://www.google.com/maps/search/sain ... a=!3m1!1e3. Amtrak is at Gate C, furthest from the headhouse. Gate b is the "historic stair" and leads to an unused plaform with clear ROWs on both sides. Gate A leads to the bus terminal. It looks to me like there are various ways to ease connections to Mpls. The simplest would might make sense to let detraining passengers walk across to the bus platforms without going up into the station, and-or to let cabs pick up and drop off in the parking lot that is almost adjacent to the Amtrak platform. If there were substantial demand, it would be easy to bring a Thruway quite close to the train, and offer connecting express bus service to a couple points in Mpls.