by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:30 AM ET, Tue July 9, 2024
Amtrak officials
announced that preliminary figures from the first full month of state-sponsored
Borealis trains between St. Paul and Chicago show a ridership of over 18,500.
In total, the average ridership was about 300 passengers
aboard each of the eastbound and westbound trains operated daily by Amtrak
under contracts with Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.
“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,” Amtrak State Supported Service Vice
President Ray Lang said.
The Borealis trains originate from St. Paul at midday and
from Chicago in the late morning. Amtrak offers everyday discounts for children
ages 2-12, students, seniors, veterans, military personnel, families, groups,
and others.
The trains offer Coach
and Business Class in addition to a cafe car featuring regional items.
“Amtrak and our state partners have always believed the Twin
Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago corridor was a great one with tremendous opportunity,”
Lang continued. “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.”
Rail passengers 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, Wisconsin.
“The first month ridership numbers are very encouraging,” Illinois
Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary Omer Osman said. “We think that
they show great potential for this route and look forward to continued strong
ridership in the coming months.”
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