Devils Lake, ND (DVL)

The Great Northern Railway built the brick depot in 1907. In the cold depths of winter, the town and its namesake lake draw sports people interested in ice fishing.

Railroad Avenue and Third Street
Devils Lake, ND 58301

Station Hours

Annual Ticket Revenue (FY 2023): $315,300
Annual Station Ridership (FY 2023): 3,092
  • Facility Ownership: BNSF Railway
  • Parking Lot Ownership: BNSF Railway
  • Platform Ownership: BNSF Railway
  • Track Ownership: BNSF Railway

Derrick James
Regional Contact
governmentaffairschi@amtrak.com
For information about Amtrak fares and schedules, please visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

The Great Northern Railway (GN) built the Devils Lake depot in 1907 at a cost of approximately $50,000. In addition to a passenger waiting room, it also contains a BNSF Railway maintenance-of-way office. The station is especially popular in the winter, when hundreds of sportsmen travel to Devils Lake for ice fishing on the largest natural body of water in North Dakota.

The GN is considered to have been America’s premier northern trans-continental railroad, running from St. Paul, Minn., to Seattle. It was formed in 1889 by James J. Hill, who orchestrated the merger of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad with the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway. The latter had reached Devils Lake in 1885, and two years later the village was incorporated. Hill holds a special place in railroad history and lore, and is known as the “Empire Builder.” Whereas most transcontinental lines were built with federal assistance in the form of federal land grants, the GN did not utilize this method.

Hill’s business acumen guided the planning and construction of the GN. Much of the upper Midwest and West was sparsely settled, so instead of racing across the continent, the GN developed the regions through which it traveled as it steadily moved toward the Pacific. This action helped settle the land and created a customer base. Hill the businessman actively sought to establish trade links with Asia, and the railroad is credited with putting sleepy Seattle on the map and transforming it into an important and powerful Pacific Ocean port after the railroad reached the West Coast in 1893.

In addition to the depot, the GN made other improvements in Devils Lake in the early 20th century. The town, which served as a passenger and freight division point, gained new machine shops, a round house and a cattle yard.

Station Building (with waiting room)

Features

  • ATM not available
  • No elevator
  • No payphones
  • No Quik-Trak kiosks
  • Restrooms
  • Unaccompanied child travel not allowed
  • No vending machines
  • No WiFi
  • Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure
  • Indicates an accessible service.

Baggage

  • Amtrak Express shipping not available
  • No checked baggage service
  • No checked baggage storage
  • Bike boxes not available
  • No baggage carts
  • Ski bags not available
  • No bag storage
  • Shipping boxes not available
  • No baggage assistance

Parking

  • Same-day parking is available; fees may apply
  • Overnight parking is available; fees may apply
  • Indicates an accessible service.

Accessibility

  • No payphones
  • Accessible platform
  • No accessible restrooms
  • No accessible ticket office
  • No accessible waiting room
  • No accessible water fountain
  • Same-day, accessible parking is available; fees may apply
  • Overnight, accessible parking is available; fees may apply
  • No high platform
  • No wheelchair
  • Wheelchair lift available

Hours

Station Waiting Room Hours
Mon12:00 am - 12:30 am
05:30 am - 07:00 am
10:30 pm - 11:59 pm
Tue12:00 am - 12:30 am
05:30 am - 07:00 am
10:30 pm - 11:59 pm
Wed12:00 am - 12:30 am
05:30 am - 07:00 am
10:30 pm - 11:59 pm
Thu12:00 am - 12:30 am
05:30 am - 07:00 am
10:30 pm - 11:59 pm
Fri12:00 am - 12:30 am
05:30 am - 07:00 am
10:30 pm - 11:59 pm
Sat12:00 am - 12:30 am
05:30 am - 07:00 am
10:30 pm - 11:59 pm
Sun12:00 am - 12:30 am
05:30 am - 07:00 am
10:30 pm - 11:59 pm
Ticket Office Hours
No ticket office at this location.
Passenger Assistance Hours
No passenger assistance service at this location.
Checked Baggage Service
No checked baggage at this location.
Parking Hours
No parking at this location.
Quik-Track Kiosk Hours
No Quik-Trak kiosks at this location.
Lounge Hours
No lounge at this location.
Amtrak Express Hours
No Amtrak Express at this location.