Amtrak’s New Borealis Train Enhances Travel Options Between Two Major Midwestern Cities

A new Amtrak service is set to open up more travel opportunities across the Midwest.

The rail company has announced the upcoming launch of the Borealis line, starting May 21, which will connect Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota, with Chicago, Illinois.

This service will run alongside the Hiawatha route between Chicago and Milwaukee (operating seven times daily) and the Empire Builder, which connects Chicago to Seattle once a day with a stop in Minneapolis–St. Paul. Improvements to existing tracks have made this second daily service possible for the first time since 1981. Amtrak estimates that the Borealis train will carry 232,000 passengers in its inaugural year, potentially reducing personal vehicle use by about 90,000 according to the Rail Passengers Association estimates.

“Adding a second daily passenger rail service linking St. Paul and Chicago via Milwaukee enhances our transportation network, offering passengers greater choices and travel flexibility,” stated Nancy Daubenberger, commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, in a statement.

The intercity passenger train will run daily, with one train departing in each direction. The eastbound service is set to leave the Twin Cities at 11:50 a.m., arriving in Chicago at 7:14 p.m., while the westbound train will depart at 11:05 a.m. and arrive at 6:29 p.m. The total travel time is 7 hours and 24 minutes, which is about an hour longer than the typical driving time between the two metro areas (excluding traffic delays).

One-way coach tickets for adults will start at $41, with business-class seats beginning at $98 each way. Discounts are offered for children, students, seniors, active and former military personnel and their families, as well as groups. Amtrak also reports that the train will feature free Wi-Fi, a café car offering regional specialties, and reclining chairs (with no middle seats).

The train will stop at additional locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Notable stops include Red Wing and Winona in Minnesota; La Crosse, Tomah, Wisconsin Dells, Portage, Columbus, Milwaukee, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, and Sturtevant in Wisconsin; and Glenview, Illinois.

“There were times when it felt like this announcement would never happen, and yet today we celebrate a new round trip that will revolutionize transportation in this busy corridor,” said Jim Mathews, president and CEO of the Rail Passengers Association, in a press release. “Passenger trains mean fewer cars on highways and less air travel, which saves lives, reduces pollution, and creates new travel opportunities. These new trains will facilitate journeys that otherwise might never have occurred, providing tangible benefits for the communities they serve.”

The new service exemplifies the rail enhancement and expansion projects supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in 2021. This could be just the start of expanded passenger rail options in this part of the Midwest. The proposed Northern Lights Express service, linking the Twin Cities with Duluth, Minnesota, is currently under study, while a new route from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to the Twin Cities (via Menomonie and Hudson) recently secured a federal grant for preliminary funding.