Amtrak’s state-sponsored Borealis trains and Amtrak Virginia passenger rail service both set ridership records during the month of April.
Borealis trains exceed expectations in first year of service
The Borealis train between St. Paul, Minn., and Chicago has exceed expectations in its first full year of service. Operated daily by Amtrak under contracts with the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, Borealis ridership for the 11 months ending April 30 was more than 205,800.
Total Amtrak ridership for the new St. Paul-Chicago corridor, which includes the Borealis and the Amtrak Empire Builder trains daily, was more than 293,000, up 227 percent from May 2024 through April 2025 when compared with May 2023 through April 2024.
“Amtrak is proud to celebrate a successful first year of the Borealis, and it’s only going to improve next year and beyond,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “Thanks to strong collaboration with our partners, we have exceeded expectations and provided a reliable, efficient and safe way to travel between the Twin Cities and Chicago via Milwaukee.”
“One year ago, we introduced a new, state-funded, intercity passenger rail service to Minnesota. Today, we are happy to share that the service has exceeded so many of our expectations, with ridership surpassing projections,” said Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. “The ridership numbers clearly demonstrate the need to have safe, reliable transportation options for Minnesotans, and we hope to continue building on its early success.”
Amtrak notes 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 a café car featuring regional items. Customers enjoy wide reclining seats with ample legroom, no middle seats and views of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and La Crosse, Wis., in both directions.
“The demand for convenient, reliable passenger rail in Illinois always has been strong, but the early success of the Borealis line shows that appetite extends beyond our borders and throughout the Midwest,” said Illinois Department of Transportation Acting Secretary Gia Biagi. “We look forward to working with our partner states on ways to strengthen service in the years ahead and explore future opportunities to offer more travel options for our residents and visitors.”
Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Secretary Kristina Boardman added, “WisDOT is proud to celebrate this milestone moment for passenger rail in our state. When the Borealis launched in May 2024, it was the first passenger rail service expansion in Wisconsin in more than two decades. The train has since become a resounding success story, and the ridership data reflects that. It provides a transportation alternative for people living in smaller Wisconsin communities and a new way for Wisconsinites to explore big cities like Milwaukee, Chicago and the Twin Cities. We will continue to work with our partners to explore more safe and reliable passenger rail options in Wisconsin.”
Amtrak Virginia sets April ridership record
With 129,670 passengers traveling throughout April, Amtrak Virginia saw its highest ridership recorded for the month of April.
All four Amtrak Virginia corridors saw increases year-over-year during the month, with Roanoke seeing the largest increase at 11.8 percent. Amtrak notes the Norfolk route carried the most passengers in April with 49,246. April ridership was also the third highest monthly ridership ever recorded on Amtrak Virginia following a strong March, which is also in the top five, along with December 2024, August 2023 and October 2023.
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s (VPRA) efforts to expand its Amtrak Virginia service have begun with numerous Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) infrastructure projects throughout the state. In April, VPRA broke ground on the New River Valley Project, which will extend passenger rail service from Roanoke to Christiansburg, Va., and bring passenger rail back to the New River Valley for the first time since 1979.
In addition, VPRA notes work continues on the Long Bridge Project, which will connect Arlington, Va., with Washington, D.C., via a new two-track railroad bridge, dedicated solely to passenger rail. According to the VPRA, the project is scheduled for completion in 2030 and is necessary to increase the number of passenger trains serving communities in the commonwealth.
TRV will allow VPRA to increase the number of daily Amtrak Virginia roundtrips from the current eight to 13. Current service includes three roundtrips between Norfolk and Washington, D.C., two between both Roanoke and Washington, D.C., and Newport News and Washington, D.C., and one between Richmond and Washington, D.C. The service offers a one-seat ride from Virginia to Philadelphia, New York and Boston, as well as intermediate stops on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.
“Seeing increases along all four of our corridors shows that the popularity of rail travel is growing all across Virginia,” said VPRA Executive Director DJ Stadtler. “We see the need and are working to expand service through our Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative as soon as possible.”
Brandon Lewis | Associate Editor
Brandon Lewis is a recent graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lewis is a former freelance editorial assistant at Vehicle Service Pros in Endeavor Business Media’s Vehicle Repair Group. Lewis brings his knowledge of web managing, copyediting and SEO practices to Mass Transit Magazine as an associate editor. He is also a co-host of the Infrastructure Technology Podcast.
