Amtrak has begun selling tickets for a newly minted “Borealis” line that will double service between Chicago and the Twin Cities beginning May 21.
The new service, one train in each direction, overlaps the Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee and the Empire Builder service, which runs between Chicago and Seattle, stopping in St. Paul, Minnesota, along the way.
The new westbound train departs Chicago at 11:05 a.m. daily, about four hours before the daily westbound Empire Builder, and arrives in St. Paul at 6:29 p.m. The eastbound train leaves St. Paul at 11:50 a.m. and arrives in Chicago at 7:14 p.m.
The new service is funded in part by the states the train passes through. Additional funding was provided by the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification Program.
“We are proud to collaborate with neighboring states and our federal partners to offer more Amtrak service in the Midwest,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said in a news release.
Amtrak’s Borealis coach fares start at $41 each way. The trains include coach and business class, and a cafe car.
