Train journeys across the Upper Midwest: A regional rail analysis

Train journeys across the Upper Midwest connect major cities, smaller communities, river valleys, prairie regions, and neighboring states through a network led by Amtrak, Metra, state transportation departments, and regional partners. The routes differ substantially in purpose: some provide frequent short-distance travel, while others form portions of longer journeys to the Pacific Northwest or the Mountain West. 1

Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities

The Borealis is a daily Amtrak intercity service between Chicago and Saint Paul via Milwaukee. It began operating on May 21, 2024, as a supplement to the Empire Builder and uses the same broad Chicago to Twin Cities corridor. The route covers approximately 411 miles, serves 11 stops, and has an average journey time of about seven hours and 24 minutes. Its coach and business-class configuration includes a café, while the service does not provide sleeping cars. 2

The Borealis complements rather than replaces the Empire Builder on the Twin Cities corridor. Research describing the service identifies a daytime schedule, café access, adjustable tray tables, room to move through the train, and Wi-Fi that may be inconsistent. Reported first-year ridership reached 205,800 passengers, while a later operating summary lists fiscal-year 2025 ridership of 212,909. These figures indicate substantial use, but they do not establish that every departure has identical capacity, punctuality, or onboard conditions. 211

The Empire Builder and long-distance travel

The Empire Builder links Chicago with Seattle and Portland, passing through Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing west. In the Upper Midwest, the route serves Saint Paul and communities including Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, and Williston. The route is fundamentally different from the Borealis because the Twin Cities segment is part of a multi-state, long-distance operation. A continuous trip across the full route takes roughly three days and two nights, making schedule exposure and accumulated delays more significant considerations. 17

Passenger accounts distinguish the Empire Builder from the corridor-focused Borealis through its longer-distance equipment and onboard spaces. The supplied travel report describes an observation car and sleeping accommodations, while also noting that trains originating on the West Coast can accumulate delays before reaching Chicago or Saint Paul. One documented trip departed Saint Paul 52 minutes late but reached Chicago with enough time recovered to preserve evening plans. Such experiences show why scheduled duration alone cannot describe long-distance rail reliability. 12

Wisconsin corridors and Mississippi River scenery

Both the Borealis and Empire Builder travel between the Twin Cities and Chicago through Wisconsin, with intermediate communities including Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, and La Crosse before reaching Minnesota destinations such as Winona. The landscape changes from metropolitan rail infrastructure to Wisconsin towns, river country, and Mississippi River bluffs. Travel guidance identifies the stretch between La Crosse and Winona as a scenic highlight, although visibility depends on daylight, weather, direction of travel, and the timing of the scheduled journey. 24

The Hiawatha provides a separate, shorter intercity connection between Chicago and Milwaukee, with multiple daily departures. Wisconsin transportation information identifies it as a principal passenger service between the two cities. Metra’s Union Pacific North line extends another rail option from Chicago to Kenosha, Wisconsin, but it is commuter rail rather than an Amtrak intercity route. These distinctions matter because frequency, stopping patterns, equipment, ticketing arrangements, and the intended travel market vary across the services. 39

Michigan connections from Chicago

Michigan’s Amtrak network provides several Upper Midwest links from Chicago. The Wolverine serves the Chicago to Detroit and Pontiac corridor, the Pere Marquette connects Chicago with Grand Rapids, and the Blue Water links Chicago with Port Huron. These routes create rail access between Illinois and Michigan without forming one unified line. Each service has its own endpoint, intermediate stations, timetable, and operating context, so a general description of “Chicago to Michigan” does not identify a single journey. 4

The Michigan routes also illustrate the regional geography of Upper Midwest rail. Chicago functions as a major hub, while Michigan destinations lie east of Lake Michigan and require distinct corridors rather than a direct continuation of the Twin Cities route. Route planning therefore depends on the precise city pair and service name. The supplied research does not establish uniform travel times, daily frequencies, fares, or onboard amenities for all three Michigan services, so those details should not be generalized across the network. 4

Illinois and Iowa routes west of Chicago

The Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg connect Chicago with Quincy, serving central and western Illinois. These routes differ from the Empire Builder because Quincy is the relevant endpoint rather than a stop on a transcontinental service. The distinction is useful for understanding the region’s rail structure: Chicago supports multiple corridors radiating toward separate destinations, while some trains are designed for state and regional travel instead of long-distance travel across several time zones. 5

The California Zephyr crosses southern Iowa between Chicago and points west, with Iowa stations identified in the research at Burlington, Mount Pleasant, Ottumwa, and Osceola. This creates another route through the broader Upper Midwest, but it follows a southern alignment distinct from the Empire Builder’s Minnesota and North Dakota path. Iowa’s passenger-rail information provides the relevant state-level context. The available data does not support treating every Iowa stop as a daily corridor destination independent of the long-distance train’s wider schedule. 6

Planning, limitations, and public responsibility

Upper Midwest passenger rail depends on coordination among Amtrak, state departments of transportation, host railroads, and regional agencies. The Federal Railroad Administration describes intercity passenger corridors as arrangements commonly requiring cooperation among these public and operating partners. This structure can support expanded service, but it also creates administrative and financial dependencies. A route’s continued operation, frequency, equipment, and infrastructure conditions may therefore reflect decisions beyond the train operator alone. 10

Several practical limitations remain important. South Dakota has no regularly scheduled Amtrak passenger service, although rail planning continues to examine future opportunities. Long-distance trains can encounter delays accumulated over thousands of miles, while corridor services may offer fewer onboard accommodations than overnight trains. Travelers also need to distinguish Union Depot in Saint Paul from Chicago Union Station, identify the correct train number, and verify the exact station pair and operating date because similarly named routes can provide materially different experiences. 8122

Sources

1. Amtrak, Empire Builder train information
2. Amtrak, Borealis train information
3. Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Hiawatha service
4. Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan passenger rail
5. Illinois Department of Transportation, passenger rail information
6. Iowa Department of Transportation, Iowa passenger rail
7. North Dakota Department of Transportation, rail planning and Empire Builder corridor
8. South Dakota Department of Transportation, railroads and passenger-rail planning
9. Metra, Union Pacific North line
10. Federal Railroad Administration, passenger-rail network development
11. Racket, “A Love Letter to Amtrak’s Borealis Train Line”
12. Streets.mn, “Why I Like Riding The Empire Builder Over The Borealis” and “Travel Diary of Riding Amtrak to Chicago, Flying Back”