ST. PAUL, Minn. — Amtrak’s Borealis service between St. Paul and Chicago, which debuted in May, passed the 100,000-passenger mark this week, with officials from Amtrak and the states funding the service riding the train on Thursday, Oct. 24, to mark the occasion.
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the excitement and ridership that the new service has created and couldn’t be prouder of our partnership,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a press release. “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.”
The states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois fund the Borealis, which made its initial runs on May 21 and on the route also served by the Empire Builder [see “Amtrak Borealis makes debut,” Trains News Wire, May 21, 2024]. It was the first time the eight stations west of Milwaukee had been served by a second train since the discontinuation of the North Star in October 1981.
“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 Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger of Minnesota, which led the effort to launch the train. “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.”
Amtrak marked the occasion by providing passengers with certificates for 500 bonus Amtrak Guest Rewards points and complimentary refereshments, along with a “100 Grand” candy bar.
Thursday’s eastbound Borealis ended the occasion on an unfortunate note, WBBM-TV reports, hitting an occupied car left on the tracks in Morton Grove, Ill., just south of the train’s next-to-last stop in Glenview, Ill. No injuries were reported aboard the train, but the Borealis — which had been just a few minutes late at Glenview, arrived in Chicago more than four hours late, according to the Transitdocs.com train tracker. The person who had been driving the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
— Updated at 7:35 a.m. with information on accident involving eastbound Borealis.
