Sturtevant Depot (Station)
My first Amtrak train trip started at the Sturtevant Depot, and now all my big adventures start and finish at the depot, even if I fly. This station has a soft spot in my travel heart, and hence a whole article dedicated to it.
Editorial note: depot and station are used interchangeably in this article, both conductors and riders use both terms.
A brief history of the Sturtevant Depot
The Village of Sturtevant (WI) built this depot in the Renaissance Business Park to replaces the original 1901 Milwaukee Road depot located a mile south. The new depot, opened on August 14, 2006, offering ADA compliant facilities, improved safety, and more parking.
The depot’s trademark, the Victorian-inspired octagon tower complete with decorative brackets, came from the former depot’s design. The old depot now sits in a park in nearby Caledonia, WI.
Location
A street view of the Sturtevant Station
The station located at:
9900 East Exploration Court
Sturtevant, WI 53177-1764
Click here for a map and to explore what is around the depot
Fun facts
- Amtrak station code: SVT
- Annual station revenue FY 2018 $1,588,630 *
- Annual station ridership FY 2018 82,814 *
- The station and parking owned and maintained by the Village of Sturtevant
- The tracks and platform owned by Canadian Pacific/Soo Line
Train route served
The Empire Builder does pass by this station, but only the Hiawatha stops. There are 14 daily Hiawatha Trains (Monday-Saturday) 7 in each direction, but on Sunday trains 329 and 330 do not run.
The Hiawatha Schedule
Northbound trains
The northbound trains stop at:
- MKA: Milwaukee Gen. Mitchell Airport (WI)
- MKE: Milwaukee Intermodal Station (Downtown Milwaukee, WI) (Final northbound stop)
The trip from Sturtevant to downtown Milwaukee is 23 miles, taking 29 minutes, averaging 47 mph, and reaching top speeds of 79 mph.
A southbound Hiawatha pulling into the Sturtevant Depot
Southbound trains stop at:
The trip from Sturtevant to Chicago Union Station is 63 miles, taking 1.1 hours, averaging 57 mph, and reaching top speeds of 79 mph.
Depot Experience
The Sturtevant Station is unstaffed by Amtrak, so a few services are unavailable
Services NOT available
- Checked baggage services
- Checked Bikes
- Station assistance is not available, so plan accordingly if extra help is needed. (Trackside assistance is available by onboard staff for those needing help boarding the train)
- Tickets agents are not available
Services available
- Golf bag check (fee and policy)
- Carry on pets (fee and policy)
- A Quik-Trak machine is available to purchase tickets, credit and debit cards only
- Assistance to get onto the train is available trackside by onboard staff
A trackside view of the Sturtevant Depot
Station amenities
- ADA compliant
- The depot is climate controlled
- Waiting area with benches
- Outdoor seating and benches
- Vending machines for coffee, soft drinks, and snacks
- Bubblers aka drinking fountains
- Bathrooms
- Towers and bridge to get from one track to another, climate controlled with both stairs and elevators
- Payphone
Parking
There is a flat rate parking (at time of writing) of $7 for up to 30 days of continuous parking, and for daily parking, the Village offers monthly six months, and yearly parking passes.
What about the train?
Typically the northbound Hiawatha uses Track 1 furthermost from the stations (up and over), and the southbound uses Track 2 (closest to the station), but this can change at any time depending on how CP rail dispatches the train. Conductors make announcements before the train reaches the station alerting passengers as to what platform they should wait for their train.
Be aware, occasionally both north and southbound trains may arrive at the depot at the same time so listen carefully as to what platform you should be on. If your back is to the depot, northbound trains will come in from the right, and southbound from the left.
After the train enters the station conductors will open the doors in two locations, they are usually a third of the way in from each end of the train. When going south, conductors will regularly scan your tickets after the train departs from Sturtevant, but if travel north, conductors may lift tickets before entering the train. (When in doubt ask the conductor)
Seating is not reserved nor assigned, so any open seat is available. If a car is full, try another for there are six in total. The last coach car in the direction of travel is the quiet car, so this means no cell phone use, loud talking, or loud snoring.
Getting tickets
Amtrak’s Quik-Trak ticket machine
Purchase tickets by
- Amtrak.com
- Amtrak’s apps
- Calling 1-800-USA-RAIL
- At the station using the Quik-Trak machine, cards only
- By using cash onboard, but there is a fee
When buying tickets over the phone, online, or via the app, Amtrak will send an email including with the eticket and a receipt. The eticket can be printed out scanned from an electronic device, or conductors can scan tickets from the app.
Leaving the depot
- Taxies (phone numbers posted in the station)
- Uber/Lyft
- Public transportation (busses)
- Friends and family
Wrap up
If you ever need to use the Sturtevant Station to catch the Hiawatha, I hope this page will help you know what is going on.
Safe Travels!
Kev
Did you know you might qualify for a discount on your Amtrak tickets? Check out this article on how to save money on Amtrak tickets.