It served numerous passenger trains, including the Sioux and Varsity, and was located next to a major yard, turntable, and roundhouse.

All Milwaukee Road passenger service in Madison was consolidated to this station with the closing of Franklin Street in 1952.

In 1953 the station mainly served On Wisconsin and other trains east on a route to Watertown, Milwaukee and then to Chicago.

[3] Additionally, the timetables showed these named trains that took at direct path to Chicago, through Janesville:[4] Rail service in Madison was terminated in 1971 when the Milwaukee Road opted to end all of its passenger operations.

MILW 35A, an EMD E8A locomotive, sits on static display outside of the depot along with several Milwaukee Road, New York Central Railroad, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority passenger cars.