Amtrak’s new route between St. Paul and Chicago will start this month

Amtrak is expanding its train service out of St. Paul, adding a second daily train to Chicago. 

The new route, called the Amtrak Borealis, will run between the two cities via Milwaukee. The train service will leave St. Paul at midday and leave Chicago in late morning.

The new line will begin on May 21.

Amtrak said coach fares will start at $41 each way, with discounts for children, students, seniors, veterans, military personnel and others.

The train will have views of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and La Crosse.

“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,” Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger, Minnesota Department of Transportation said in a statement.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder route also travels between St. Paul and Chicago as part of a longer route that ends in the Pacific Northwest.

The new daily route will make the same Empire Builder route stops between St. Paul and Milwaukee and the Hiawatha route stops between Milwaukee and Chicago.

The route includes eight train stations across Wisconsin. The route is sponsored by the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois.

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