About the BorealisSM
The BorealisSM is a new daily passenger train between St. Paul, Milwaukee and Chicago. This round-trip service began on May 21, 2024.
Borealis uses a portion of the 411-mile rail corridor used by Amtrak’s long-distance Empire Builder, connecting rural and urban communities with another choice for safe, reliable transportation. With late morning departures and early evening arrivals in St. Paul and Chicago, Borealis offers more choices, increased flexibility, convenient travel times and better on-time performance for both passenger and freight trains.
The Borealis service is a partnership with the Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Transportation, with funding assistance from the Federal Railroad Administration. Amtrak is providing the service.
For more information about the Borealis train service, visit the Amtrak website.
Other existing passenger rail service:
- Empire Builder (Chicago to Seattle and Portland via Minnesota)
- Northstar Commuter Rail (Big Lake to Minneapolis)
Visit the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's TCMC project page for more information on public engagement, funding, location, and the project schedule.