Amtrak's new line from Milwaukee to the Twin Cities is a month old. It's already had 18,500 riders

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Thousands of passengers rode the second daily Amtrak service between the Twin Cities and Chicago, via Milwaukee in the first full month of operation, according to new data released from the agency on Monday.

The first full month of the Borealis trains between St. Paul and Chicago shows ridership of more than 18,500 passengers, according to preliminary figures. That's about 300 passengers boarding each of the eastbound and westbound trains daily.

Customers are boarding a train at Chicago Union Station. A new line, starting May 21, 2024, will connect the Twin Cities to Chicago and Milwaukee.

The second daily round-trip passenger train runs from Chicago to the Twin Cities— by way of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells and La Crosse, and has been in the works since 2015. The new train service starts from St. Paul at midday and from Chicago in the late morning.

“Borealis marks the first passenger rail service expansion in Wisconsin in 22 years and people are responding,” said Craig Thompson, Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) in a statement. “The initial data is promising and reflects the hard work done by WisDOT, our partner states and Amtrak to bring this service to the people of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. We’re hopeful the more people that ride Borealis and like it, the more successful it will be.”

Passengers started taking the second daily service in May 2024. The train makes the current Empire Builder stops between St. Paul and Milwaukee and the Hiawatha stops between Milwaukee and Chicago.

Plans are in the works for Amtrak to add a second daily line from Chicago to the Twin Cities, via Milwaukee, by the end of 2023.

Before its launch, an estimated 232,000 people were projected to ride the new trains in the first year of full service, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Coach fares start at $41 each way between St. Paul and Chicago for adults, with discounts for children ages 2-12, students, seniors, veterans, military personnel and families, and groups. For more information, you can visit Amtrak's website at www.amtrak.com/Borealis.