Overwhelming public interest in the new state-sponsored Borealis trains between St. Paul and Chicago has propelled year-to-date ridership past the 100,000 customer mark this week. Operated daily by Amtrak under contracts with Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, state transportation department and Amtrak officials turned out today to ride both the east and westbound Borealis trains.
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the excitement and ridership that the new service has created and couldn’t be prouder of our partnership. 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,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris, who added that Amtrak ridership nationwide is on trend to set a record this year.
“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,” said Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. “We are very excited to reach this milestone and look forward to strengthening our partnerships with communities, as well as federal, state and local governments, and Amtrak to continue providing a safe, reliable, and sustainable transportation option.”
“We are excited to celebrate this significant milestone with our partners today,” said Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Kristina Boardman. “Strong ridership from day one demonstrates the interest in passenger rail in Wisconsin and is a product of the partnership between Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Amtrak to provide this service to riders. We will continue to work with our federal and state partners to explore additional passenger rail opportunities.”
“Illinois is proud to be a partner with Minnesota, Wisconsin and Amtrak in providing the Borealis service,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “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.”
To celebrate, customers were given complimentary refreshments and commemorative certificates entitling every passenger to 500 bonus Amtrak Guest Rewards points. As a fun addition, each passenger received a “100-Grand” candy bar as a snack or a keepsake, courtesy of Amtrak.
Borealis trains originate from St. Paul at midday and 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 both directions.
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