Amtrak’s NEWEST Train: the Borealis

[@danielfisher1515]

I live in the Twin Cities, and my two sons rode the inaugural Borealis! We're SO glad to have another option between St. Paul and Chicago!

[@Thom-TRA]

How did they like it?

[@scrappytracy5557]

Agreed! I live in the Twin Cities, too, and was impatiently waiting for this.

[@ntatenarin]

I did a tour of the Midwest and travelled to many cities, but didn't have time for the Twin Cities. Now is my chance!

[@haj8579]

I know Amtrak has many harsh situations, but it is really favourable to hear that Amtrak is still trying hard and create more services. I think the Midwest still has a lot of potential in terms of intercity rail popularity, probably it can be the second place where intercity trains are most popular right next to the Northeast. I hope this service becomes the first step.

[@Thom-TRA]

I think we’ve never been in a more optimistic time than right now. For a long time, both politicians and Amtrak execs didn’t care. Now it seems they do.

[@Triplebuc50]

Need to upgrade all their short distract trains, like Pontiac to Chicago, Cars are old and BLA., delays are A continuous slow down. Due to competition with Freight trains

[@BrennanZeigler]

It really is sad how much the highways killed the small towns. Hopefully trains like the Borealis will bring life back to those small towns again. Amtrak’s Connects Us map gives me hope for those often neglected small towns

[@doomsdayrabbit4398]

Trains built America. Highways destroyed it.

[@Thom-TRA]

Everyone in the towns knew about the train. They were so excited.

[@johnweeks65]

@@Thom-TRA They will be less excited when they look at the cost. I picked July 16 as a random date to compare prices. The Borealis from MSP to Chicago is $179 (one way), Empire Builder is $95, Delta Airlines is $59, and Sun Country is $44. I can't think of any reason someone would pay 4 times what it costs to fly unless they are doing a one time train adventure to check it out. Even the bus is cheaper. In fact, if you do the math, we find a huge missed opportunity. The Borealis cost $45-million to start up and expects 125,000 passengers a year by year 5. If you divide the $45-million by the cost of a bus ticket, then by 125,000, you find that we could have simply given people a free bus ticket for over 5 years for the same price. And if that kind of money was pumped into commercial bus lines, they could have built out a really good regional bus system with frequent trips that served far more than just a handful to cities along the train tracks.

[@appleintosh]

@@Thom-TRA Remember that the small towns were only there in the first place because of the railroad. When the railroads were built 150 years ago, there were probably a bunch of towns along wagon routes that died off. It's how society works

[@Thom-TRA]

@@appleintosh I’d love to see examples where highway bypasses built flourishing communities that justify the downfall of these railroad towns.

[@brucearthur5108]

I had to drive from Chicago to Minneapolis in the winter once and it took forever. I could have really used this train! I truly believe that point-to-point routes like this between relatively nearby city pairs is the future of passenger rail in North America and I'm glad to see Amtrak going in that direction.

[@Thom-TRA]

I’ve done that drive several times. It’s a long one, and ice is not your friend.

[@alexisdespland4939]

now i need to see a picture of the borealis under the auroura borealis.

[@Thom-TRA]

I’ll let the sun know to get to work

[@jonfalkenburg1404]

Yeah it’s kind of unfortunate that it doesn’t go through any places that see the borealis tbh

[@rikkichunn8856]

@@jonfalkenburg1404 Once in a great while, the aurora borealis can be seen as far south as Chicago. We saw it once when I was a kid in Arlington Heights. It's the city lights that make it so invisible.

[@SagePerkins-e5f]

Localize a model borealis within your kitchen.

[@SpithVideo]

21:47 “thank you for choosing the uh … whatever this one is … The Borealis?” I love Amtrak employees so much. So many of them are just personality plus 😊

[@Thom-TRA]

He also said: “we’ve left the land of Lincoln and have pierced through the cheddar curtain.” I loved that

[@maharajohn2]

@@Thom-TRA Haha fantastic

[@andrew_ray]

I still can't believe Chicago doesn't have level boarding. It's just wild to me that such a major accessibility feature is exclusive to the northeast.

[@rikkichunn8856]

Back in the day, Chicago Union Station had an unusual layout. Passengers boarded and exited trains from low-level platforms. But on the other side of the track was a baggage/mail platform. It was car height, to allow baggage and mail trucks to roll right into the car to easily load and unload mail and baggage. At the headhouse end, the baggage platform ramped down directly to the baggage and mail facilities which were one floor lower in the station building. What was the reason for this goofy arrangement? When the last Union Station was built, passenger service was not a moneymaker for the railroads. What kept passenger trains profitable was the money made by mail and express service. The railroad executives thought that airlines and highways would steal more and more passenger business away, and they figured that, in effect, passenger trains would gradually become predominantly mail and express trains,. There were already mail and express trains running. They typically made every stop for mail and express business. Some carried only a single coach for the convenience of passengers going to and from those small towns. A few trains carried no passengers at all. Today, we look at things with 20/20 hindsight. In fact, the airlines have the mail business. Railway Express is a thing of the past, replaced by air freight and high speed trucks and freight trains. There is a resurgence of passenger business, but it's nothing like the days when passenger rail was the only way to get to most places. So why hasn't Chicago taken to level boarding? The answer lies in the gallery cars that are the backbone of Metra's suburban operation. These cars already have steps down to low-level platforms permanently installed. It would be a cumbersome and costly retrofit to permit level boarding with these cars. The only place where level boarding is the norm in Chicago is the Metra Electric District. There, every station has had high platforms for years.

[@me-it9jn]

most trains there are 2 level trains

[@andrew_ray]

@@me-it9jn Most trains at Boston South are bilevels, but there's level boarding there, so I don't think that's a valid excuse.

[@MiguelX413]

Denver RTD also has level boarding

[@andrew_ray]

@@MiguelX413 Sure, because it's an entirely new system built after the ADA went into effect.

[@pacificostudios]

The best advantage of the Borealis is that it won't be delayed while crossing WA, ID, MT, and ND. I've seen the Builder up to 6 hours late, making for dicey connections to trains headed east or south from Chicago. In fact, the Borealis only runs a couple hours off the Empire Builder schedule. I'd choose the Builder if you are going westbound.

[@Thom-TRA]

Even though I believe all the Borealis trains so far have been delayed, it’s not nearly as bad as EB delays.

[@pacificostudios]

@@Thom-TRA - Are we talking about more than 30 minutes delay? You mentioned being held up to wait for Amtrak 8/28,. It seems like there should be more padding in Milwaukee, especially with a crew-change in Milwaukee. Actually, the Builder changes crews at Milwaukee, too. Milwaukee is always a long station stop because of all the people boarding, the distance between the waiting room and the island platforms, and the narrow width of the walkway to the trains. Making passengers wait in the station until the train has arrived is silly. Apparently, they think that most MKE passengers don't know how to behave around a moving train.

[@jasonalperin9414]

Looks packed,lol

[@AssBlasster]

I had the luck of a 10 HOUR delayed EB train from Seattle to Spokane...luckily Amtrak gave me a full refund and even some extra Amtrak credit. Also fed us subway at the Seattle station lol

[@pacificostudios]

@@jasonalperin9414 In my experience, the Empire Builder picks up a coach in St. Paul that shuttles from MSP to CHI. With the Borealis, presumably the Builder doesn't have to switch a car anymore. But that shows the demand for rail on the route of the former Twin Cities Hiawatha.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Such a cool place Columbus, Wisconsin is! That antique mall is insane, love their collection of model trains! And cheese curds is love, cheese curds is life! As mentioned, the service was originally gonna be called the Great River, which not only references the Mississippi River, but also honored indigenous heritage since the word Mississippi comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi which means "Great River". The original Milwaukee Road Hiawatha fleet in turn was 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! The story takes place in Michigan on the south shore of Lake Superior. 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! In the Southern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called "aurora australis" after Auster, the Roman god of the south wind (whose Greek equivalent is Notus), so Australia is also named after a Roman god! Auroras are caused by magnetic storms that have been triggered by solar activity, such as solar flares (explosions on the Sun) or coronal mass ejections (ejected gas bubbles). Solar storms on the Sun's surface give out huge clouds of electrically charged particles. These particles can travel millions of miles, and some may eventually collide with the Earth. Most of these particles are deflected away, but some become captured in the Earth’s magnetic field, accelerating down towards the north and south poles into the atmosphere. This is why aurora activity is concentrated at the magnetic poles! These particles then slam into atoms and molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere and basically heat them up!

[@Thom-TRA]

Welcome to a brand-new Cheese Curds Are Awesome video

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Culver's was founded in July 1984 by George, Ruth, Craig, and Lea Culver in Sauk City, and has served cheese curds since 1997! Cheese curds have their roots in Ancient Rome! Romans created a delicious treat that they called globuli which consisted of cheese curds, dredged in semolina flour, fried up in olive oil, and then covered in sweet honey. As people got settled throughout the United States, Wisconsin started out producing cheese in the 1840s when Anne Pickett established Wisconsin's first commercial cheese factory in 1841, and quickly took to the profession, attracting immigrants from cheesy world capitals like Switzerland and Germany. These new minds combined their cheese making prowess with local talent to hone Wisconsin into a hub of dairy producing goodness. A century later, Wisconsin was home to more than 1,500 cheese factories, which produced more than 500 million pounds of cheese per year! The reason behind the squeak of a cheese curd comes from the physical makeup of the curd itself. Cheese is made up of casein molecules which are bound together tightly with calcium phosphate. This makes curds a tight knit group of molecules that rub against your teeth when bitten (similar to the way your finger sings on the rim of a wine glass). As the cheese ages, the lactic acid inside begins to break down the calcium phosphate bonds resulting in an increase in flavor, but also a softer cheese that loses its characteristic bounce

[@Thom-TRA]

This is my Roman Empire moment. And that fact of the squeak was so surprisingly interesting.

[@ErnestTeeBass]

From the looks of your little picture by your screen name it appears you have eaten too many cheese curds. And Butterburgers.And French Fries. And strawberry custard. And chocolate malts.

[@winterwatson6437]

@ErnestTeeBass i love that this is what you ended up with post edit

[@DCYote1]

I kinda want to ride this train just to go to Columbus and check out that antique shop you visited. Looked like a lot of interesting railroad related finds to be had there!

[@Thom-TRA]

You’ll spend all day there!

[@45Steamer]

Fun Fact: Columbus, WI is gateway to the state capital Madison, & Amtrak plans to go directly to Madison one day

[@Thom-TRA]

I am most excited about expansion to Madison

[@jonathankleinow2073]

@@Thom-TRA I used to live on the east side of Madison and in Sun Prairie, the first suburb northeast of Madison. I'd love to see some sort of regional rail/light rail hybrid that would connect Columbus, Sun Prairie, and Madison's Far East Side with the Capitol and UW-Madison.

[@AssBlasster]

They would have already but Scott Walker exists...

[@genevarailfan3909]

@@Thom-TRA The mayor of Madison was on the inaugural Borealis trip, despite it not going there. I know plenty of people in Madison who like to take weekend trips to Chicago, not to mention students who like to fly out of O'Hare, so that future service will be very welcome!

[@Zak_How]

Those shots of snow in the train car by the door, that is cool. Something i never would of thought about

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah, cool shot, but there really shouldn’t be snow in the train!

[@sammymarrco47]

Fastest editor in the west! Solid video as always, the OG Thom in the mid west series intro gave me some flashbacks I didnt expect to have. I hope to ride a first service at some point!

[@Thom-TRA]

Stayed comfortably on our side of the Mississippi!

[@galoa91]

Be glad you have train service. We have none in Southern Indiana

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

Blame the State legislature they are Trainphobic

[@bobsykes]

Wisconsin seems to really be doing a lot of things right these days. Great video, and what a great new route to have!

[@Thom-TRA]

I’ll tell Wisconsin you approve!

[@Hodaggium]

Yes, there is talk about bringing temporary service up to Green Bay for the NFL draft next April. I'll be stoked if that can happen. Great choice getting off in Columbus if you couldn't ride the whole route that day. Having a Culver's and a Kwik Trip sure made it worth it.

[@Thom-TRA]

I’m an unapologetic fan of Wisconsin fast food. I’m sure the Green Bay trains will be… PACKED. Get it?

[@counterfit5]

Gotta run service there for Bears/Packers games

[@Hodaggium]

@@Thom-TRA I'm a fan of Wisconsin brands in general. I even shop at Kohl's when I need anything they have. Of course, those trains will be packed.

[@Hodaggium]

@@counterfit5 I hope there will be high demand for that. I hope they have a way to mitigate the flood of Bears fans tears when they make their way home from the games at Lambeau.

[@vanhagar3000]

@@counterfit5 I'm kind of thinking after the draft that Packers games in general might be the next test. There are a lot of season ticket holders in Milwaukee, not only because it's the biggest WI market, but also there are some longtime fans who were or inherited season tickets from the two annual games played Milwaukee until the 90s. If not the full slate of games maybe the Chicago game plus the games the old Milwaukee fans inherited.

[@TheRexGolden]

I appreciate you doing this trip as it is exactly what I'm looking for before taking this mode of transport. That being said, it's a bummer Amtrak is still unapologetic Amtrak. Bare bones, no frills and no allure. Also, thanks to short sighted Gov. Scott Walker for stamping out the high speed train that would have made this trip 4 1/2 hours.

[@PLG8gen]

Its gonna get interesting not seeing just only empire builders through the northwestern side of wisconsin. I hope amtrak continues the revival of some old passenger services!

[@Thom-TRA]

A group is working hard to restore the north coast Hiawatha!

[@BoratWanksta]

​@@Thom-TRAWould be nice if places like Bismarck, ND, Billings, Livingston, Missoula, etc could see train service again.

[@andyjay729]

I kinda think Amtrak should focus on that more than high-speed rail. Maybe more rural Americans would be supportive of rail service if Amtrak served more rural routes, as well as some routes that used to be key, like Midwest-Florida. And then there's service to Las Vegas...

[@ScottPalmer-mp1we]

I'm glad to see that you all in the midwest are getting another rail option. I'm spoiled in CT, having options of Amtrak, CT Rail, Metro North! I hope this trend continues.

[@efrainfjr]

Babe, wake up. TRA just dropped.

[@marcitos_9329]

TRA🤓

[@Thom-TRA]

Good morning

[@jason_yt77]

@@Thom-TRA I am a big fan next. Can you do the Princeton dinky from Princeton to Princeton Junction?

[@Thom-TRA]

@@jason_yt77 someday! I really want to

[@SpotterCrazyperson]

😂

[@michaelformaini7053]

What a great day out you had, Thom (apart from the weather)! It's great to see Amtrak adding new regional services such as this that really answer a need. By the way, we had the southern equivalent of Borealis (the Aurora version) known as Aurora Australis that many of us never ever thought that we would experience in our lifetime several weeks ago. Now getting back to your coverage..... I'm glad to see you exploring the mid-west with enthusiasm. Small town ANYWHERE is so much more hospitable than big cities. I loved that you got great advice on what to see by the station agent, showed the historic downtown area and its relationship to the railroad passing through and that you found the antique store and had a great time there (even though you wished you had some more time). Loved your focus on Lionel Model Trains and the Railroad Crockery! Great to see you got your cheese curds and drink at the Culvers outlet. Something that stood out for me was the environs of the Columbus Station. You showed the old freight house and grain silos adjacent the passenger depot and I see that it would appear that the passenger platform may be extended to cover the whole train, not just one or two coaches. Hopefully some weather shelter may also be incorporated along the platform. I have to agree wholeheartedly with you that the Amtrak boarding procedure sucks big time. It's like an American version of the hated Gestapo trying to herd cats! Unfortunately it's perpetuated in some parts of Australia too and raises my hackles when I see or experience it. We customers deserve better, we are human beings after all, not mindless cattle (although a few people act that way).. On-train catering is a moot point when your journey exceeds about two and a half hours. Unfortunately it's not given a high priority these days because of the costs and logistics issues associated with its provision....but I'm glad Amtrak came to the party on this new service. The menu looks extensive and the prices seem to be attractive. This alone will help to sell the service to would be travellers. Well done Thom! Looking forward to more Trains Are Awsome combined with visits to small town America. Cheers from Michael in Melbourne, Australia.🙂🙂🙂

[@Thom-TRA]

I don’t know, I’ve often been very lonely in small towns, but able have found some of my greatest friends for life in the big cities.

[@baseballfan99]

Great video of the new train and featured destination. This just shows how much latent demand there is for rail service for journeys of a few hours and hope this is the catalyst for further expansion.

[@Thom-TRA]

I’m sure it will be!

[@philanderson3179]

My wife and I rode the CascsdeTalgo train from Portland to Olympia, Washington and I was REALLY IMPRESSED by it. Clean, roomy , comfotable and the food sevices was very tasty and efficient. I would suggest that tis type of equipment would be ideal for trains like the Borealis and others with milesge runs of about the same distance. No getting around it, the present equipment will eventually need to be replaced or upgraded.

[@HHopebringer]

Talgo is what Wisconsin could have had and it just...its such a bitter pill (the trainsets built in Wisconsin are now in service in Nigeria...) Don't elect morons to be your governor, and don't prop them up with fools in the legislature. And cherish the service you have!

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

Most of the Talgos were scraped, they are being replaced by Horizons and Ventures just like on the Midwest Services

[@tmcb_]

"Thom in the Midwest" Lulz. Love that our favorite Dutchman made it back to Chicago! Congrats on 40k subscribers.

[@Thom-TRA]

To be your favorite out of all the Dutchmen is quite an honor

[@tmcb_]

@@Thom-TRA To be honest, I only know two. So, there’s that. Love what you do…thanks.

[@levim9707]

I managed to get a ride on both first day trains, I was very surprised by the mix of both rail fans and regular transit users. It was about half and half. Very happy about that and I hope it’s a good sign for the future of the service!

[@Thom-TRA]

Wow! Where did you change between the trains?

[@levim9707]

@@Thom-TRA I changed in La Crosse, so I got to see the Governor of Wisconsin do a ribbon cutting with the Amtrak CEO there!

[@Thom-TRA]

@@levim9707 oooh cool! I met Gardner at Chicago Union station randomly a few months ago

[@JJRol.]

I hope Minnesota/Wisconsin does some more state sponsored routes. This is great! You no longer need to rely on the Empire Builder

[@Thom-TRA]

Minnesota is working on a Minneapolis-Duluth train. Should be pretty soon. Hopefully someone is smart enough to connect the two.

[@akhilkarandikar99]

Amtrak needs the new rolling stock badly

[@Thom-TRA]

The ventures are nicer than people say they are

[@genevarailfan3909]

@@Thom-TRA I believe the issue with Ventures (besides quantity, possibly) is that they're technically part of the Amtrak Midwest fleet, like the SC-44 Chargers. Apparently since Minnesota isn't part of the Amtrak Midwest arrangement (though they should be, if they're going to add the service to Duluth), that equipment won't be used for Borealis.

[@Thom-TRA]

@@MichaelfromtheGraves I find them perfectly comfortable for regional journeys.

[@TheRicsilver48]

How come your wife wasn't traveling with you? She's the best part of your reports. 😊

[@RenegadeChauffeur]

0:55 that stairway was the one that was featured in “The Untouchables” during the shooting scene with the baby carriage going down the steps.

[@brianleeby]

TRA wins Best Humor for Train Enthusiast category for sure.

[@Thom-TRA]

Centerpiece of my trophy case

[@JerrellWoolford]

Awesome Video; I'm glad to see a new Amtrak Service and you can't go wrong with Culvers.

[@trainglen22]

It's nice to see an additional train in the mid -west.

[@Thom-TRA]

The Midwest is honestly so well set up for train service. We need more service that doesn’t serve Chicago.

[@lilydiring4295]

@@Thom-TRA Besides Ohio, with the new Cleveland - Columbus - Cincinnati route, there really just isn't the population density anywhere in the Midwest to find a route that doesn't include Chicago. Amtrak should 100% be working on getting the spokes running before the orbital connections. Realistically how many people are going to be traveling by train from Minneapolis - Davenport or Debuque - St. Louis? It's much better to connect every city up to Chicago before you start connecting up the cities to each other. Minneapolis - St. Louis or Minneapolis - Indianapolis would be fantastic, but even with a reasonable budget for Amtrak and a non profit first charter it'd be better to first increase the frequencies and speeds of current routes to make transferring in Chicago a viable option: much better bang for your buck. Obviously more direct trains would be nice, but it's low on the list of priorities.

[@artvandelayimports]

Love Union station, have a lot of good memories riding the train from UIUC to Chicago and then taking the CTA to ORD

[@kevinb8881]

Thom, I can't believe Chi City Union Station turns 100 in 2025, wow!!!

[@Thom-TRA]

Time to throw it a huge party!

[@kevinb8881]

@@Thom-TRA I'm sure it'll be a massive one!!🎂🍰🎉

[@OldZephyr]

Good video, Thom -- well put together, well edited, and informative. Also, good job noting the positives of the service, as well as thoughtfully pointing out the negatives. You strike a good balance that way.

[@Thom-TRA]

Really appreciate your kind words! Have a good night

[@fomfom9779]

I wondered how long until you would be putting up a video from onboard this new Amtrak route. And here it is!

[@Thom-TRA]

Hopefully it wasn’t too long!

[@fomfom9779]

@@Thom-TRA Not at all. I'm an old guy, and was raised in SE WI, so the WI aspect was of particular interest to me. The Chicago And Northwestern double deck green and yellow trains were a part of my childhood. Fond du Lac no longer has passenger rail service, however. Thanks for your videos.

[@phillippollard1699]

Great commentary on the Borealis. Really liked the way you explained the nuances that make up this new train. From time to time I’ve been taking the Hiawatha to & from Milwaukee just for kicks. I’m now looking forward to taking this new train thanks to your review. Keep up the good work. Rail fans like myself really appreciate it.😊

[@Thom-TRA]

Let me know when you ride it how it went!

[@ck4426]

How awesome to have a new train! And Columbus had some awesome sights too. It’s so sad that the boarding process in Chicago is so traumatic-yes I’ve been through it many times. Hopefully that will be changed with all of the construction at Union Station. That would be awesome!

[@Thom-TRA]

I can’t believe how much scaffolding there is!

[@martinchgo]

@@Thom-TRA The scaffolding is for the Canal St reconstruction above

[@Northern_Idaho]

Now that the Borealis is up and running, what do you hope will be the next new train? I think Albany-Boston would be the easiest to implement and bring a lot of new passengers. For extensions, I think the Heartland Flyer to Newton, KS via Witchita would be the best option. Frequency wise, I think the Sunset Limited should be at least daily, since it’s the only train to Houston, El Paso, and Phoenix. The Front Range corridor (Fort Collins-Pueblo) should ben the first entirely new service in my opinion, though I would also want the California Zephyr to run more frequently for better connectivity.

[@AMTK816]

Front range corridor is being tested

[@Thom-TRA]

Really?

[@Thom-TRA]

I think honestly NOLA-Mobile will be next

[@Northern_Idaho]

@@Thom-TRA From what I’ve seen, that corridor has been having issues with implementation. I do hope it will be open again soon, but we’ll see.

[@counterfit5]

Definitely would love to see Boston-Montreal

[@DominikW118]

Happy to see you back in Chicago! I'm super happy to see Amtrak expanding it's horizons. I hope the future bodes well for them.

[@Thom-TRA]

I filmed quite a few other videos while I was here for your enjoyment!

[@Trainsaregreat365]

It's so nostalgic thom in the midwest is back

[@Thetransitmasterzurich]

174 is my favorite Amtrak loco so crazy you got pulled by it

[@SeanLamb-I-Am]

The construction that you can see in the shots at Columbus station are new platforms that are being installed. I was there to see 2816 run through a couple weeks ago and chatted a little with the construction crew. The new platforms are planned to be step-free, so the same level as the car floors. And, yeah, Columbus Antique Mall is legendary.

[@Thom-TRA]

So they really are new platforms! That’s what I thought, but I wasn’t sure.

[@Rails-Of-Illinois]

I might ride this from Chicago - Minneapolis/St Paul in July with a couple friends in the railfanning community.

[@Thom-TRA]

You should! It’s a good ride to do with friends

[@Rails-Of-Illinois]

​​@@Thom-TRAFr! We're planning on taking the Borealis sometime in the summer before schools reopen. Plus, Horizon cars have and are recently being refurbished.

[@chadamtrakrailfan]

What a great review of the Borealis! Also, great timing with publishing this in the same week of its launch! That line is such a great line to railfan (especially for Amtrak) and the Borealis is just an added bonus to that line! I'm hoping they keep those phase 7 P42s on it as well. Who knows, maybe in the future, we'll see venture cars on it to replace the horizons. It's also cool to see the inside of the Columbus, WI as I sometimes watch the railcam that's right across the tracks from it. Cool finds from the flea market as well.

[@Thom-TRA]

Usually when I ride the Empire Builder, by the time I reach Columbus , I’m so tired of filming I kind of ignore it. It was nice to actually visit.

[@InventorZahran]

Phase VII P42s with Venture cars would be a sight to behold!

[@BirbarianHomeGuard]

Wild how packed that train is.

[@Thom-TRA]

Very pleasantly surprised. Now, add more cars!

[@dangelohartley5977]

​@@Thom-TRAYes

[@th220]

The Hiawatha is always packed, very busy route between Chi-Mke.

[@Thom-TRA]

@@th220 the Hiawatha should be hourly in my opinion.

[@leek6927]

@@Thom-TRAthere are so many Amtrak services that obviously need more trains, the Hiawatha, Empire Service (all the way to Niagara), and Keystone come to mind

[@ToastersAreEvil]

Thank you!!! Traveling this June and I cannot wait!

[@Thom-TRA]

Hope you have a good trip!

[@kevanhubbard9673]

Looks like they need to add a few extra carriages otherwise people might have to stand and I'm guessing that Chicago to St Paul is a long way to stand!

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah it’s quite a short train!

[@kitchin2]

It's an all-reserved train. You don't get a specific seat, but you are "guaranteed" a seat. It sells out when it's full. Only a few Amtrak trains are unreserved.

[@NinjaAgnostic]

We won't be stuck with the Horizons forever! I read Amtrak midwest is putting in orders for the venture cars to be used on this service. I believe they're still waiting to place the bulk order, but it's in the works.

[@TannerJ96]

I really hope that with this new service, more effort is put in by Amtrak, and specifically the state of Wisconsin, to connect Madison with Chicago and the Twin Cities. I know that the review for station location in the city of Madison is currently underway, and they are hoping to secure the funding for that to be able to provide that connection for a city that is really quite isolated when it comes to intercity travel aside from the Greyhound bus. Combining a connection on Amtrak from Madison with Madison‘s upcoming new BRT lines will hopefully make it a lot easier to be less car dependent in Madison.

[@lilydiring4295]

Yes 100% looking forward to the new Madison route. Although the greyhound bus to Chicago Union station really isn't the worst. It's reasonably priced and not super slow. The biggest improvements are going to be dodging Chicago traffic in and out of the airport which it also stops at.

[@Thom-TRA]

Madison should have had a train yesterday!

[@TannerJ96]

@@lilydiring4295 I would have really liked to see them also consider a route through rockford and some of the smaller cities in North Central IL and Southern WI, too

[@th220]

@@TannerJ96 I think Rockford is getting Metra service in 2027 so that's something.

[@lilydiring4295]

@@TannerJ96 Yes I definitely feel like janesville rockford and beloit could be linked up super easily. The track is already there just needs permission from freight which means it'll never happen lol.

[@RandomRailfan828]

Great one man, love the new service! It seemed like an enjoyable ride, I’ll have to try it!

[@Thom-TRA]

There were some great people on board!

[@DoubleHCreations]

Columbus Wisconsin kind of reminds me of the town from the ghost and Molly McGee, one of my favorite shows ever.

[@williambudiac5711]

Awesome video! Awesome to see Thom take an Amtrak train through my home state of Chicago!

[@Thom-TRA]

Chicago, the 51st state

[@lylelanley18]

Lou Malnati’s, ba-BEEE!!

[@williambudiac5711]

@@Thom-TRA Haha

[@electrourbantrans1018]

Congratulations with the implementation of the new train Borealis! I think America (the USA, Canada and Mexico) needs more trains of this kind, especially between major cities within 200-300 km between each other. If such trains will run 3-9 times a day in any US state, they could find regular customers. The travel time should be comparable to that of a plane (albeit a little longer), but the ticket will cost less than a plane. At the same time, the train will be able to transport people from downtown to downtown, and not with transfers in the "bus-plane-bus" format.

[@AA_8184_1]

Another great video! Want to try this new service! Exciting to see this network growth starting to happen!

[@Thom-TRA]

You should!

[@Triplebuc50]

Good Job, Ilive in Michigan, My Amtrak history is from Lapeer, Michigan to Chicago, R.T., and Pontiac to Chicago to Washington D.c. to Deland Florida, I hope to one day go from Chicago to San Francisco or to Seattle in a Bedroom with my Wife, then Fly back to Detroit.

[@pahogger]

Thank you for covering this new train with your video, I very much enjoyed it.

[@Thom-TRA]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@lanadellhatestheclock3325]

I took my trip from Chicago to St Paul about a month ago. Really enjoyed it! We need more trains!

[@roberthansen2008]

Yeah thanks for riding the borealis. Everywhere I'm turning the past week or so it's been borealis this and borealistad. I'm really glad that it's getting a lot of attention. And I really enjoyed your review.

[@TrainsFerriesFeet]

Congratulations on 40,000, Thom!

[@Thom-TRA]

Thank you!!!

[@oliviaoverboard]

I’m on the borealis right now! Watching this to help pass the time. Great vid !

[@DangerDave826]

This'll be great for taking a weekend vacation up to the Mall of America

[@Thom-TRA]

Love MOA

[@BCentury200054]

You seem very knowledgeable for someone as young as you look.😊

[@Thom-TRA]

I wonder if you know how old I actually am lol

[@buffaloarearailfan9928]

Great Video! Let’s hope to see more Amtrak Intercity Expansions in the future like this one!

[@matthewconstantine5015]

Glad to see the expansion of these routes. Baby steps, but progress.

[@Thom-TRA]

Baby steps are still more than we’ve seen for decades

[@BoratWanksta]

I had been starting to research some of these small Wisconsin and Minnesota towns more, due to Borealis service starting. I didn't realize about that antique store in Columbus, when I researched places in this town in the past. I would want to go there for sure, IF I do a Columbus, Wisconsin train trip down the road.

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s so impressive

[@ChrisRampersad]

I like the extra schedule options with having a new train

[@Thom-TRA]

2 is still not much but a lot better than 1!

[@landon176]

17:52 Culver’s. One of my favorite midwestern fast food restaurants I’ve ever been to.

[@Marcuswelby-nx2te]

Trains are awesome thanks for posting this dude👍

[@christinebicanic]

I'm here for the Tomah and Red Wing stops. Two of my favorite train watching spots.

[@BoratWanksta]

Red Wing is a town I'd like to take a train trip to, one day. Maybe Tomah is okay to, but at first research glance Red Wing jumped out to me more than Tomah. I'm not saying Tomah doesn't have anything interesting, as maybe I would visit there one day?

[@buttercuppy269034]

Thsnk you Thom for this video! I go to Mi every summer and we always look forward to eating at Culver’s! Hope to ride Amtrak soon!

[@Thom-TRA]

I have fond memories of living in MI for a few years

[@NonstopEurotrip]

Great Video dude, as always, much love

[@Thom-TRA]

Sleep well!

[@jamesf791]

Fun fact, that Chicago Union Station actually replaced another Union Station that was built on the same site in 1881

[@Thom-TRA]

Yep. At least they replaced it with something beautiful.

[@BCAmtrak1]

I rode it from Milwaukee to Chicago recently (it’s just like a corridor train with cafe car (Wolverine, Blue Water, San Joaquin ect. But there’s one thing that this train has that many other corridors don’t usually have. They swap crews at MKE both directions like 7 and 8. Same is true at Battle Creek, crew swap

[@teecefamilykent]

Brilliant video sir!

[@Thom-TRA]

Many thanks!

[@1stAgent]

Came for the look at the Borealis since I'm taking it tomorrow, but I live in Columbus so that was a nice surprise! Walking from downtown to Culver's in the rain shows your dedication to the curds. I have to make that walk whenever I ride Amtrak.

[@Thom-TRA]

Haha, it was a 20 minute walk. That’s what we call next door where I live.

[@Grahamrobinsonvt802]

Bucket list train

[@ChuckE.CheesesIllinois]

Your train videos always put a smile on my face, don't ever stop lol

[@Thom-TRA]

Aww thanks!

[@ztl2505]

Small town Midwest antique shops are my happy place

[@Thom-TRA]

They’re so cheap. The big city ones overcharge.

[@NickP16]

I was going to go ride this train, I’m from the Twin Cities But I already had an overseas trip plan. I’m currently in Brisbane Australia. So I will ride it another time.

[@Thom-TRA]

I have some friends who live in the Gold Coast!

[@adamputz6043]

That’s the most anyone’s cared about Columbus that I’ve ever seen

[@csexplore4110]

Another great video, Thom!

[@Thom-TRA]

Thank you!!

[@Homer500]

Last week we took the Southwest Chief to LA and Texas Eagle back to Chicago. Change schedule to take Borealis home, then it was canceled 6/18/2024. Thanks Amtrak.

[@landon176]

Hey Thom! There are gonna be more and more venture coaches across the Midwest than there were before, which means more comfy cars and more modern bathrooms! Unlike the horizon cars on the other hand which are not modern and having the need to push up the sink to wash your hands, and I’ve experienced what it’s like to be in a horizon car with the need to push up the sink.

[@JackTravels4]

Been waiting all afternoon for this!!! ❤❤

[@michaelb9629]

I was excited when I heard about this new Amtrak route! I think I knew about it before and forgot. I’d like to ride it someday, not sure how far though but I would go anywhere from Chicago past Milwaukee.

[@Thom-TRA]

Exactly, I knew I had to take it past Milwaukee!

[@dhdisprsmith2296]

A great informative video. I wasn't aware it was running with a engine on both ends, makes sense though because there's really no convenient turning facilities at St Paul.

[@Thom-TRA]

But they still turn around in St. Paul, I believe. I’m not sure why they have two engines, maybe to prevent a failure and the embarrassing delays that would follow.

[@BuilderJay]

I was looking for you and figured you'd be on the first train! I went from CHI to CBS. then back to MKE. We do an day trip from MN to CBS every year on. May 1st! LOve the mall, and yes, it's HUGE!

[@billtherailfanner455]

Awesome video. I am glad that Amtrak now has a new train running from Chicago, IL to St. Paul, MN.

[@MikeMath9]

wow if I'm ever in C-bus I'll have to check out that antique store

[@Super-Suchi]

Amtrak Borealis? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within the Empire Builder?

[@mirzaahmed6589]

Yes!

[@Mnbaco2]

Can i see it

[@counterfit5]

​@@Mnbaco2Mmm, no.

[@CityOfGravella]

@super-suchi I must say you’re an odd comment, but you steam a good ham.

[@johnalder6028]

Well done. Port Saint Lucie Florida has a culvers.

[@Thom-TRA]

Really? Wow!

[@Dr.Disney]

1:57. Don’t worry. That board wasn’t updated with the new train yet. It took a few days but now it’s better. Also I agree with you about people breaking throw the barriers in line.

[@Thom-TRA]

I figured it would get updated eventually

[@TommyFlanagan666]

This is a great addition! But looking at the Horizon seats fills me with nostalgia. Rode the Pere Marquette to Chicago and back two weeks ago on the newer Siemans Venture cars and the seats are not good. At. All. Virtually no padding and no appreciable recline option and no lumbar support. My butt was sore after the first hour and my wife and I both walked off at Union Station with aching backs. Everything else was great as usual but whoever designed those seats should be made to have them installed in their personal vehicle. Maybe then they would fix this mess.

[@Thom-TRA]

I don’t think the new venture seats are nearly as bad

[@garrettmillard525]

Can be a bit chaotic but always a pleasure to see trains getting used

[@eottoe2001]

Like the idea you can go from Chicago to the Dells. That would be a fun little trip.

[@Thom-TRA]

They should market that more

[@johnchastain5657]

When you're back in DC, check out the Strasburg Emporium in... you guessed it... Strasburg VA. Unfortunately there's no passenger train service, but it's another yuuuuge antique store with plenty of (pleasant) surprises.

[@Thom-TRA]

I’ve been to Winchester recently but will have to check out Strasburg next time I head to Shenandoah.

[@kitchin2]

@@Thom-TRA It's funny passenger train service is never proposed for the lower (northern) Shenandoah Valley.

[@maumor2]

Great video as usual this is a great option for Chicago - Twin Cities. Taking it next month And for the ones that like movies @0:54 remember the great scene at Union Station in the movie Untouchables

[@Minuteman4Jesus]

Great video! I'm originally from Gary Indiana - just 30 minutes outside of Chicago. Now I'm living in upstate Minnesota. So this was personally interesting to me!

[@erich1070]

Thanks for posting this🙌🏾, from halfway 'round the world🇨🇮

[@Thom-TRA]

Time to sleep for you!

[@erich1070]

@@Thom-TRA 😏😆