Preliminary figures from the first full month of state-sponsored Borealis trains between St. Paul and Chicago show a ridership of greater than 18,500. That is an average of about 300 passengers aboard each of the eastbound and westbound trains operated daily by Amtrak under contracts with Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.
“Amtrak and our state partners have always believed the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago corridor was a great one with tremendous opportunity,” said Ray Lang, Vice President, Amtrak State Supported Service. “The ridership numbers we have seen so far confirm our belief and we expect this trend to continue as the service matures and we head into the peak summer travel season.
“With strong college and university markets on this route, we are confident Borealis will continue to perform well when students and staff travel in greater numbers this fall,” said Lang, who added Amtrak ridership nationally is on a trend this year to set a new all-time record.
“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). “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.”
“The number of rides in the first month clearly demonstrates the need for this route,” said Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). “We are optimistic numbers will remain strong and the Borealis service will continue to provide a safe, sustainable and accessible transportation option.”
“The first month ridership numbers are very encouraging,” said Omer Osman, Secretary, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). “We think that they show great potential for this route and look forward to continued strong ridership in the coming months.”
Borealis trains originate from St. Paul at midday and from Chicago in the late morning with Amtrak everyday discounts for children ages 2-12, students, seniors, veterans, military personnel and families, groups, and others. The trains offer Coach and Business Class in addition to a café car featuring regional items.
Customers enjoy wide reclining seats with ample legroom, no middle seats, free Wi-Fi, and views of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and La Crosse, Wisc., in daylight in both directions across Wisconsin.
Passengers travel 7 hours and 24 minutes from St. Paul/Minneapolis to Chicago via Milwaukee and will benefit better connections to business, universities and tourist attractions.
The new service is sponsored by the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Amtrak now operates 29 state-supported routes with 18 state partners.
The new train service is part of the Corridor Identification and Development programme that delivers new or expanded intercity passenger services. For each selected corridor, FRA initially awards the grantee USD 500,000 for eligible activities.
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