The Borealis passenger train from St. Paul to Chicago surpassed 100,000 riders in October after premiering in May.
Amtrak and state transportation officials from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois celebrated the milestone at an event held at the St. Paul Union Depot on Oct. 24, according to a statement from Amtrak.
The Borealis, operated by Amtrak, began its first midday train from St. Paul to Chicago on May 21.
The seven-and-a-half hour train ride, beginning in St. Paul, makes two other Minnesota stops in Red Wing and Winona. It also has eight stops throughout Wisconsin and two in Illinois, including its final destination of Chicago.
The Borealis is not the only train line beating expectations this year. Train ridership nationally is set to break records in 2024, Amtrak President Roger Harris said in the statement.
In February, the Federal Railroad Administration announced the Amtrak long-distance expansion plan. The plan proposes two new train lines for cities in the American Northwest that do not have train services, such as Yakima, Boise, Missoula and Pocatello.
The strong ridership of the Borealis is leading Amtrak and state officials into expanding passenger rail lines in the area, Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Kristina Boardman said in the statement.
“We will continue to work with our federal and state partners to explore additional passenger rail opportunities,” Boardman said in the statement.
The Borealis came together through partnerships with the Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois transportation departments and federal support, former Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson said in a statement from May.
“Borealis will double the options for passenger rail travel along a corridor that connects many businesses, universities, tourism destinations, and Wisconsin communities,” Thompson said in the statement.
The people’s excitement for the train line has been a “pleasant surprise” for Amtrak officials, Harris said in the statement. In the first month, over 18, 500 people rode the Borealis train, according to Amtrak.
“The number of full trains, even at mid-week on the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago corridor, is leading Amtrak and our state partners to look at how we can add capacity,” Harris said in the statement.
The Borealis is one portion of Amtrak’s larger, cross-country line known as the Empire Builder which gives riders a chance to travel coast-to-coast all along a train line.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is looking into expanding its partnerships with other transportation agencies following Borealis’s success, Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger said in the statement.
“Reaching 100,000 passengers in less than six months is a testament to the good things that can happen when we provide a service that is needed,” Daubenberger said in the statement.
Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said in the statement that the Borealis train has been a crucial resource of transportation and shows how high support for public transportation.
“Reaching the 100,000-passenger milestone so soon after service began demonstrates the appetite and importance with the public to better connect our cities and offer multiple modes of transportation to get where they need to go,” Osman said.
