Amtrak Borealis Line Celebrates 100,000 Passengers

The St. Paul-to-Chicago train served more than 22,000 passengers in August.

1 minute read

October 28, 2024, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Red Amtrak Borealis train in St. Paul Union Station depot.

Trainsfan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

Amtrak’s Borealis line, launched in May 2024, reached 100,000 riders this week, outpacing a prediction that it would serve between 125,000 and 135,000 passengers per year, reports Tim Harlow in The Minnesota Star Tribune.

The train, which runs between St. Paul and Chicago and serves multiple other cities, runs once a day each way and take roughly 7.5 hours for the entire trip. “Ridership started strong with 18,500 passengers hopping on board during its first month of service. Since then, numbers have remained strong with more than 22,000 riding in August followed by a slight dip to just under 18,800 in September, according to All Aboard Minnesota.”

Thursday, October 24, 2024 in Minneapolis Star-Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Crowds of people walking and biking along waterfront in Sunset Dunes Park in San Francisco, California on a sunny day.

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway

The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

April 22 - Mission Local

Portland Oregon Bus

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws

One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

April 22 - KATU.com

Houston, Texas skyline.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy

The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.

April 22 - Urban Edge