All aboard, Midwesterners.
If you’re making the journey from Chicago to Milwaukee or the Twin Cities, you’ll soon have another option to get there via train.
Starting May 21, Amtrak is adding a second daily passenger rail service called Borealis that connects Chicago and St. Paul through Milwaukee.
Borealis trains originate from St. Paul, Minnesota, at midday and from Chicago in the late morning. The rail service serves 13 train stations for an estimated travel time of 7 hours and 24 minutes between Chicago and St. Paul, according to Amtrak’s website.
Borealis trains will overlap current Empire Builder rail service stops between St. Paul and Milwaukee and Hiawatha rail service stops between Milwaukee and Chicago.
The new rail service is funded in part by the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification Program and the states that the rail service goes through.
“We are proud to collaborate with neighboring states and our federal partners to offer more Amtrak service in the Midwest,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman in a news release.
Borealis rail service includes coach and business class, in addition to a café car.
Fares start at $41 each way between Chicago and St. Paul for adults.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: @eunicealpasan | 773-509-5362 | [email protected]