Amtrak Is Expanding Its Midwest Service — and Tickets Start at $41

Amtrak will launch a new train service later this month, expanding access between the Twin Cities and Chicago.

The new Amtrak Borealis train will launch May 21 with afternoon departures from St. Paul and late morning departures from Chicago, according to the rail company. The train will represent a second daily option to travel between the two major cities.

Tickets start at just $41 for coach fares.

“A second daily passenger rail service connecting St. Paul to Chicago via Milwaukee is a welcome addition to our transportation system, providing more choices and travel flexibility for passengers,” Nancy Daubenberger, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, said in a statement, adding it will “provide another safe, reliable transportation option.”

When it starts, the Borealis train will make the current stops on the Empire Builder line between St. Paul and Milwaukee as well as the stops on the Hiawatha line between Milwaukee and Chicago, according to Amtrak. The train will feature several stops in Wisconsin, including in the popular Wisconsin Dells.

The entire ride will take just under 7 hours and 30 minutes.

Each Borealis train will feature both coach and business class seats, a cafe car complete with regional items, and views of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and La Crosse, WI. The new service was sponsored by each of the states it crosses: Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, according to the rail company.

“This is a win for passenger rail expansion in America, and more importantly, it’s a win for a growing number of Americans who rely on passenger rail and benefit from it,” Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose said in the statement. “Investments in rail have long helped Midwesterners and the region’s economy, and this new service will mean additional access for people traveling between Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois while contributing to economic growth.”

Travelers heading on from Chicago will be able to get to their destinations quickly since Amtrak increased the speed limit last year along the Chicago to St. Louis corridor to as fast as 110 mph.