Amtrak's Newest Route - The Borealis

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Something worth mentioning is St Paul Union Depot is a hub for the Twin Cities' light-rail system as well as different bus services, so now more people will be taking transit to Union Depot for the Borealis! The current Union Depot was started in 1917 but was not completed until 1923 because World War I caused construction to halt for several years. It was designed by Charles Sumner Frost who is best known as the architect of Navy Pier and for designing over 100 buildings for the Chicago and North Western Railway, including the former Chicago and North Western Terminal in 1911 on the site of what's now the Ogilvie Transportation Center (which of course the original terminal since been demolished and rebuilt in the 1980s) and the historic Chicago and North Western Railway Power House! He also designed the George C. Walker Library in Chicago's Morgan Park.

[@johnchambers8528]

Thanks for the video. I have traveled between Chicago and St. Paul- Minneapolis several times on the Empire Builder. With Amtraks policy of coach passengers not being able to access the dinner I would rather ride the new train. It also most likely will be more on time on the southbound run to Chicago since it is originating in St. Paul. The Builder is late many times due to freight trains out west as well as bad weather in Winter. It also does give passengers another alternative time to get to the stations along the line. I hope it is a big success and encourages Amtrak to continue to improve service outside the northeast part of the country.

[@Robbi496]

I think that coach passengers are able to use the diner again, at least on some routes?

[@SAmaryllis]

@@Robbi496 I just took the Empire Builder to/from St. Paul & Chicago just last week, and can confirm coach passengers can use the diner cars! However, sleeper car passengers took priority, and it was moreso an "ehh we have room, you can come if you want" kind of situation - the first dinner timeslot for coach passengers, for instance, was 8p (probably the last one)

[@BenjiBlabs]

Took the Borealis from Chicago to St. Paul recently! The ride after La Crosse is really pretty along the river

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

"Amtrak Borealis? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within your video?!" "Yes!" "May I see it?" *"Yes!"* The term "aurora borealis" was coined by Galileo in 1619, from Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn and Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind! By extending Hiawathas to the Twin Cities, Amtrak is reviving the original Twin Cities Hiawatha! The original Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha streamlined fleet were named after the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an epic about the fictional adventures of an Ojibwe warrior named Hiawatha and the tragedy of his love for Minnehaha, a Dakota woman! As you mentioned, not only will this route give people more options between the Twin Cities and Chicago but will also help all the small towns along the way and not to mention, boost Wisconsin Dells's tourism further by attracting people taking the train! Trains helped small town America, highways killed small town America, and so trains can revive them to their former glory!

[@karatransitfur]

I definitely will consider a trip to the Dells now that the Borealis exists!

[@yukaira]

THE MILUWAKEE ROAD

[@scunekt]

really love seeing a new Amtrak service here in WI! hopefully the proposed idea of getting a train up to Fond du Lac/Oshkosh/Appleton/Green Bay works out eventually. Portage is the closest station to me, but it's still a 2-hr drive away, so it makes travelling by train near-impossible for me (as someone that can't drive).

[@PeaceToAll-sl1db]

no doubt :) Wisconsin for Trump

[@nomadMik]

Always excited to see rail expansion, and Minneapolis is my favourite of the US cities I've newly visited in recent years. But I wish we had high speed trains in the US, and even a quarter of the frequency I normally expect in many other counties.

[@plaws0]

It is _so_ annoying that it took 12 years for Amtrak and the states to figure out how to extend a train from MKE to MSP. It's not even a "new" train - just an extended Hiawatha. Glad it happened, happy for the folks north of Milwaukee but holy carp, we need to do better.

[@peoriavideosltd6822]

Exactly. This train seems like it could have been created with about five minutes of planning. No new trackage, no new stations. Maybe it was the logistics of crew and equipment availability that took twelve years of planning.

[@plaws0]

@@peoriavideosltd6822 It's definitely crew & equipment ... but that only takes you to 12 minutes, not 12 years. Trying to remember which political puppet was in the CEO chair back then. Probably had orders to keep any new service to Restricting Speed.

[@bkark0935]

@@plaws0you’re also forgetting who was the Nutty Governor of Wisconsin, at the Time. Walker was infamously against anything to do with Amtrak improvements or High-Speed Rail

[@waytoobiased]

as someone else said, it was more like six years because the first half was spent waiting for Scott Walker to depart

[@codfish1113]

SEYMOUR! THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE!

[@glowingfish]

NO MOTHER ITS ONLY THE NORTHERN LIGHTS.

[@bnywtrains9482]

Speaking of steamed hams, I’m eagerly awaiting Amtrak to do this same thing to the ALB-BOS portion of the Lake Shore Limited. Maybe call it The Minuteman?

[@MirzaAhmed89]

Surely it should go to Utica?

[@PiplupJames]

Here’s to more extensions and new lines 🥂

[@fjkelley4774]

I'm glad Amtrak did this. Many other, similar trains should be considered.

[@sammymarrco47]

Solid video as always, concise and informative!

[@officialmcdeath]

Thanks for your take on this - anyone who previously featured the Empire Builder would've mostly overlooked these communities because they weren't the 'highlight' of the trip - in a very small space, you have shown so much variety and life and justified the new service - why only 200 'First Day' certificates, though? Was there a fight for them? \m/

[@karatransitfur]

That's what I realized on the ride - for example, there was zero fanfare in Chicago (because we already have a bunch of trains so one more is no big deal) but everywhere else along the line, another daily train *was* a huge deal. It's good to keep in mind that a route is more than it's termini!

[@memoriesbywayne]

I need to look more into the schedules but I love how this gives me more opportunities for random day trips to the Dells!

[@PeaceToAll-sl1db]

we need it :) don't forget to vote for Trump

[@memoriesbywayne]

@PeaceToAll-sl1db what is he going to overhaul our mass transit system or something? I'm not betting money on it. 😆

[@MSP_aviation]

Wow, I watched you go by from the southbound train. I’m so glad this train is finally here and to be part of such a momentous occasion!

[@PuzzlingRailfanatic]

Great video, Stormy!

[@ClassyWhale]

Looks like you had a lot of fun! So sad I had to miss. Are you going to frame your certificate?

[@karatransitfur]

*throws out my diploma* THIS is more important

[@lupulopang]

Glad I met one of my fav KZbinr on the first train 😂🎉

[@history_leisure]

Other than a North Coast restoration and maybe a few dedicated Milwaukee Airport shuttles, not much more can be done. Although with the North Coast they should double the Borealis so you have the Long Distance and present trip as being day/arrive-depart maybe at dawn or dusk most of the year with an additional night train (with the Madison reroute, it could hold there for a bit longer since it would likely have to reverse to reach Portage/Milwaukee as well as only being 7-8hrs so it doesn't have a late departure/early arrival. Depart around 10 and arrive 6:30-7:30 doesn't sound that bad going end to end)

[@peoriavideosltd6822]

Oh! Oh! I've got another one.. They could extend one of the Saluki or Illini trains down to Memphis. Same route and stations as the City of New Orleans but it will offer a new travel option for those south of Carbondale. In twelve years when the service finally begins you can all thank me.

[@johnchambers8528]

As usual any additional trains over existing routes not covering the long distance minimum requires cooperation and some funding for improvements and operating costs. The existing trains you noted are subsidized by the state of Illinois. Would Tennessee be willing to pay for any improvements and operating costs to extend the service? Also the Canadian National railroad already is not that cooperative in running the existing trains. Will they agree to extend the trains without unreasonable track or signaling improvements?

[@MassbyTrain]

I NEED THE OUTRO MUSIC BACK it’s too fire

[@RobertKrebill]

I recorded your train at the Lake Cook Road station!

[@stanford2444]

Good thing Portage is the least used station in Wisconsin. There is very little parking. Still coming from the North it is convienently just off 39.

[@Travelmoments452]

Is the internet the same or faster on this train? Other Amtrak with this same route the internet was slow

[@awesomeman116a]

Omg that shirt is amazing where did u get it??

[@karatransitfur]

Official Amtrak gift shop!

[@brunhildevalkyrie]

Nice

[@Aptiz712]

hey i know you two >w> awesome showcase of the Borealis! wish we had one of those down here 🔥

[@Nvideofilmsproductions]

I'ma wanted to railfan the *Borealis train*. but stormy kara would you come back to canal Street some day?

[@Blu_Moon_VA]

Mmm, steamed hams.

[@RcSammy]

George Lucas spotted at 5:06 in Winona, MN

[@travelsofmunch1476]

0:12 This graphic is wonderful.Thats all

[@dumpsta-divrr365]

Wish this hit Madison, my friend just started living there. But I'm happy it at the very least exists

[@karatransitfur]

@@dumpsta-divrr365 I’d love a Chicago - Madison rail connection!

[@yukaira]

all the foamers dropping vids on this this week

[@glowingfish]

I actually am looking forward to the videos that will show up when it is a more "normal" service, like what will it be like when this is just another train line?

[@yukaira]

@@glowingfish likely just as busy, as kara said, the normal services were already busy

[@davidharris2519]

Portage is not Amtraks least used station i think that belong so some city down south

[@larryellisreed280]

Actually, Portage is the least-used Amtrak stop in Wisconsin; that is duly noted in the narration. As for the two other states whence the Borealis operates, the least-used honours fall upon Gilman, IL and Detroit Lakes, MN. For the entire system (based on 2023 passenger counts), Sanderson, TX (on the Sunset Limited route, which operates three days a week each way) is the least-used stop.

[@davidharris2519]

@@larryellisreed280 but the least used station on all of AMtrak is Sanderson TX

[@larryellisreed280]

@@davidharris2519 I did note as much (q.v.).

[@jsou-gm4tu]

They really need the new Siemens train sets on this route, as well as the Hiawatha. The old ones smell like urine

[@johnchambers8528]

I assume as soon as Amtrak accepts more of the Siemens cars they will run the new cars on all the Midwest routes.

[@johnchambers8528]

That was the plan. It’s just that the builder as usual was late in getting the cars done and accepted by Amtrak. That is why on some of the new car trains they usually still add an Amfleet snack bar lounge car in the consist. The snack bar business class cars are not ready for service yet.

[@kevinrush4411]

I'll have to check, but I am pretty sure the new train takes a different path than the Empire Builder, so some other cities are served. Certainly the Borealis and Empire Builder must share the same path at the beginning and end of the Borealis path.

[@dominicwroblewski5832]

Why the hell didn't Amtrak just call it the Twin Cities Hiawatha ? For crying out loud it follows the same route as the Milwaukee Road Hiawatha, bring back a famous train name.

[@johnchambers8528]

Most likely because this train does not run close to the speed of the old Milwaukee Road trains.

[@aarocka11]

Half life 3 confirmed?

[@davidjackson7281]

Doubling the frequency by adding one whole new slow train trip averaging a whopping 54 mph must really be phenomenal and a cause for great celebration.

[@youtubesewersocialist]

It's called progress, David. Ever heard of it? Just because the frequency is like that now, doesn't mean it's gonna stay like that forever. It's just a step towards even more frequent service. You also have to remember Amtrak doesn't even own all of the tracks in the US, including the trackage of this corridor. It only directly owns approximately 623 miles of track in the country

[@youtubesewersocialist]

And of course, it's better to add train service than to build yet another highway....BAN CARS

[@chrisstromberg6527]

Well your negativity, fortunately does not match the demand for this service. The routes have been averaging about 300 riders per day on each train. Our daughter and friends are frequent riders between school in MN and home here in WI. It's not uncommon to see the train sell out.

[@davidjackson7281]

@@chrisstromberg6527 Congratulations

[@RorylikesPRT]

First like

[@RorylikesPRT]

First view

[@RorylikesPRT]

First

[@awesomeman116a]

rip someone actually commented before you :( Nice try tho!

[@davidharris2519]

ditch the music

[@davidjackson7281]

For Sure.