The Borealis, the passenger train that runs exclusively between St. Paul and Chicago, has been a popular draw for riders over the last two years — so popular, in fact, that beginning this week, Amtrak will add a fourth, year-round superliner coach car to every departure.

That’s welcome news to Carolyn Browender, a St. Paul resident who has been inquiring if the rumors were true since the Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers shared the announcement in a Facebook post in early September.

“My spouse and I also recently had a positive experience with the Borealis,” said Browender, in a Sept. 4 email. “We took it to Chicago in late June for a wedding, and will be doing so again in October for another one — we found it so much more comfortable and scenic than driving or flying, and based on ridership numbers it’s clear we aren’t the only ones who think so!”

More than 500,000 passengers have ridden the daily Borealis since it first rolled out of the downtown St. Paul Union Depot in May 2024, and trains frequently run at capacity. Amtrak’s variable surge pricing can boost fares, but with base prices starting at $41 for a one-way coach trip between Minnesota’s capital city and the Windy City, the roomy passenger seats are considered a steal by some compared to the hassle and cost of flying or driving to, parking in and gassing up en route to Chicago.

“We’re selling tickets right now through next July,” said Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesperson, on Thursday. “We’re selling tickets right now for 2027’s Memorial Day and Independence Day, if travelers want to get ahead of the price curve.”

Amtrak, like most public transit, receives heavy public subsidy to cover about $13 million in annual operating costs.

Roughly 80% of the cost of operating the Borealis is shared between Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, who will also share in the cost of leasing a fourth train car from Amtrak. That spending will be reduced in part by a $38.6 million federal grant awarded to Amtrak around January 2025, as well as the increased fare revenue from the added passenger capacity.

More seats at lower price points

Greg Mathis, passenger rail director for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, said in statement that the federal grant will help offset costs for the first few years of service while ridership and revenue grow. The extra coach will also allow more seats to be available at lower price points, he said.

“In roughly two and a half years of operation, the ridership numbers for Borealis continues to exceed expectations,” said Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger, in a statement.

Borealis trains offer a cafe car accessible for the duration of the ride, wide reclining seats with extended legroom, no middle seats, and views of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and La Crosse, Wis. in both directions. What they don’t offer is room for bicycle storage, and until now, a fourth train car.

“We keep hassling Amtrak because there’s been a shortage of cars since the pandemic,” said Winona County Commissioner Chris Meyer, chair of the Great River Rail Commission, a compact composed of the cities and counties along the corridor from St. Paul to La Crosse. “We would have a lot more riders if we had more cars. We want them to add a baggage car so folks can bring bikes. But it’s a step in the right direction.”

Borealis trains depart St. Paul just before noon and from Chicago around 11 a.m., completing their trips in about 7 1/2 hours each way. A train spends the night in St. Paul, so on-time departures are almost guaranteed — a far cry from Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which sometimes has hours-long delays as it travels from Seattle through the Rocky Mountains and North Dakota to St. Paul, Milwaukee and Chicago.

“In the winter especially, if there is a snow storm or some troubles in the Dakotas, (Empire Builder passengers) end up taking a bus to Chicago,” Meyer said. “But the Borealis, it’s on time, and it’s running.”

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