logo
Amtrak ridership in Minnesota up 176% since 2021, up 89% in North Dakota

Amtrak ridership in Minnesota up 176% since 2021, up 89% in North Dakota

Yahoo29-03-2025

Mar. 29—GRAND FORKS — For a town like Rugby, North Dakota, where the population is about 2,400 and the nearest commercial airports are roughly an hour away, the local passenger train is a point of pride and a part of daily life.
"We're very proud of our Amtrak station, the fact it's still a stop here and the train does stop here," said Laurie Odden, the director of the city's Chamber of Commerce and visitors bureau. "I think as family members, friends, we love to be able to drop someone off at the train station, or pick them up, or what have you, or entertain them between the times it picks up and drops off."
Later this year, Amtrak will cut the ribbon on interior and exterior improvements to the town's historic train depot, including a new heated outdoor platform. It will also unveil similar upgrades at the Devils Lake station. The
Grand Forks station
has been upgraded in recent years as well, and renovations at the Fargo station are expected to wrap up later in 2025.
Amtrak and some city officials hope the multimillion-dollar updates will attract even more passengers to its Upper Midwest lines, which have seen ridership grow every year since 2021. Although Amtrak ridership in North Dakota still hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels, ridership in the state has roughly doubled in the past four years. Ridership in Minnesota has nearly tripled, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers.
Nationwide, Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari painted an even rosier picture.
"Our ridership is above and beyond what it was before COVID," he said. "And that's pretty much the picture across the country."
In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, North Dakota and Minnesota saw annual passenger rail ridership numbers of 101,119 and 131,973, respectively, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. In 2021, those numbers hit their lowest point at 44,950 and 65,827.
In 2024, the most recent data available, 85,199 riders took the train in North Dakota, an 89.5% increase since 2021. In Minnesota, that number was 181,716, a 176% increase.
Minnesota ridership was boosted last year by the introduction of Amtrak's new Borealis route between St. Paul and Chicago. It exceeded ridership expectations — Amtrak and MnDOT initially projected annual ridership on that route would be around 125,000. Instead, Borealis saw 100,000 riders in just its first 22 weeks.
The uptick can be attributed to several things, like population growth, pent-up desire for travel left over from the pandemic, and even milder winters the past few years, which frequently translates to higher ridership in the winter months, Magliari said.
But in the numbers, he also sees a demand for "other options that are more comfortable, safer, more reliable than driving."
"People are looking for options besides, you know, an 18-wheeler in their rearview mirror, and someone next to them yacking on the phone that they're holding, or people in the car on the other side shaving or putting on lipstick," he said. "I mean, driving is not as wonderful an experience as maybe it once was, and I think you'll hear the same thing about flying."
Dale Niewoehner, a former Rugby mayor who has lobbied to Amtrak for more than 35 years, said the value of regular passenger service to a small, rural community like Rugby can't be overstated.
"A lot of people want to bring up the fact that it's nostalgic or history," he said. "Well, that's fine, but it's still a method of transportation here in rural America.
"You know, Grandma wants to go to Seattle, she can come up here, get on this train, and nobody's going to frisk her or anything," he continued. "She can sit herself down in a chair or in a sleeper and safely get to Seattle without any hassle. And she can leave her car at the depot, and when she gets home, she can jump in her car and go home. And I think that's really important."
And where the train stops, economic and tourism benefits follow, Odden added. Current Rugby Mayor Frank LaRocque said that judging by the license plates that frequent the depot parking lot, many Manitobans travel to Rugby to catch the train. So do people from across neighboring counties. Last year, 3,361 people got on or off the train in Rugby, according to Amtrak data.
"They use the hotels if they have an early morning train. ... They eat in the restaurants," he said.
Magliari heard similar feedback in a recent visit to Red Wing, Minnesota, one of the stops on the new Borealis line.
"Folks in that community were very, very clear about what a great improvement that's been for business in Red Wing, to make it easier for people to go back and forth between Red Wing and Chicago and St. Paul, for new business and for tourism," he said. "So there's certainly a great Midwestern example."
In North Dakota, for decades, the only passenger rail line has been the Empire Builder, which travels from Fargo to Grand Forks and west through Williston on its way between Chicago and Seattle and Portland.
There are hopes for that to change in the coming years. On Dec. 20, the federal government published the Long Distance Service Study, which included aspirations for more long-distance routes across the country,
including the North Coast Hiawatha line.
That line was decommissioned in North Dakota in the 1970s, and today is operated in Montana by the Big Sky Rail Authority.
The hoped-for expansion would connect Chicago and Seattle through Fargo, servicing the bottom half of the state. There has also long been interest in extending service to St. Cloud and Fargo, Magliari added.
Amtrak is a federally chartered corporation, meaning it operates like a private business but is government-owned. In Niewoehner's experience, the federal government can be fickle at times — investments and projects can come through one day and be discontinued the next. He still remembers a time decades ago when there were discussions of ending daily Amtrak service in Rugby.
Still, he has high hopes that Amtrak's multimillion-dollar investment in the state in recent years means passenger rail service is here to stay.
"I hate to think of the time that this train is not going to stop here, if it just goes whizzing by," he said.
As for LaRocque, he hasn't taken the train in many years. When it comes to travel, for LaRocque — a state trooper of 20 years — it's tough to beat his love of driving.
Recently, though, he's been thinking it might be time for a trip.
"I was just thinking about it yesterday. I should go for another train ride. It's been a while," he said, adding that he would like to go out west, perhaps to see the famous Pike Place fish market in Seattle. "And I'd like to go through the mountains — just ride out there, spend a couple days, and jump back on and ride back to Rugby."
Following are year-over-year numbers for stations along Amtrak's Empire Builder in North Dakota and Minnesota, comparing 2024 numbers to 2023:
* Devils Lake: 3,092 (2023), 3,922 (2024)
* Fargo: 17,545 (2023), 19,986 (2024)
* Grand Forks: 9,863 (2023), 13,018 (2024)
* Minot: 19,962 (2023), 22,680 (2024)
* Rugby: 2,718 (2023), 3,361 (2024)
* Stanley: 2,440 (2023), 2,960 (2024)
* Williston: 17,213 (2023), 19,192 (2024)
* Detroit Lakes: 4,182 (2023), 5,580 (2024)
* Red Wing: 5,609 (2023), 11,031 (2024)
* St. Cloud: 8,169 (2023), 9,358 (2024)
* St. Paul-Minneapolis: 77,597 (2023), 130,328 (2024)
* Staples: 5,931 (2023), 7,977 (2024)
* Winona: 10,847 (2023), 17,442 (2024)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

AIM ImmunoTech Announces 1-for-100 Reverse Stock Split
AIM ImmunoTech Announces 1-for-100 Reverse Stock Split

Yahoo

time30 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

AIM ImmunoTech Announces 1-for-100 Reverse Stock Split

OCALA, Fla., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AIM ImmunoTech Inc. (OTC Pink: AIMID) (NYSE American: AIM) ('AIM' or the 'Company') today announced a reverse stock split ('Reverse Stock Split') of its shares at a ratio of 1-for-100. The Reverse Stock Split will take effect at market open tomorrow, June 12, 2025. The Company's ticker symbol on the OTC Pink will be AIMID for 20 trading days, including the effective date. One of the primary goals of the Reverse Stock Split is to increase the per-share market price of the Company's common stock to enable the Company to regain compliance with the NYSE American's Listing Qualifications. At a Special Meeting of Stockholders held on April 30, 2025, the Company's stockholders approved a series of alternate amendments to the Company's Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split of the Company's outstanding common stock at a ratio in the range of up to 1-for-100, with such ratio to be determined by the Company's Board of Directors. Stockholders will be given cash in lieu of any fractional shares on a post-split basis. Following the Reverse Stock Split, the new CUSIP number of the common stock will be 00901B303, with the par value per share of common stock remaining at $0.001. About AIM ImmunoTech Inc. AIM ImmunoTech Inc. is an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, immune disorders and viral diseases, including COVID-19. The Company's lead product is a first-in-class investigational drug called Ampligen® (rintatolimod), a dsRNA and highly selective TLR3 agonist immuno-modulator with broad spectrum activity in clinical trials for globally important cancers, viral diseases and disorders of the immune system. For more information, please visit and connect with the Company on X, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the 'PSLRA'). Words such as 'may,' 'will,' 'expect,' 'plan,' 'anticipate,' 'continue,' 'believe,' 'potential,' 'upcoming' and other variations thereon and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Many of these forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Data, pre-clinical success and clinical success seen to date do not guarantee that Ampligen will be approved as a therapy in any indication. The Company urges investors to consider specifically the various risk factors identified in its most recent Form 10-K, and any risk factors or cautionary statements included in any subsequent Form 10-Q or Form 8-K, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Among other things, for those statements, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the PSLRA. The Company does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. CONTACT: Investor Contact: JTC Team, LLC Jenene Thomas 908.824.0775 AIM@

Citi offers hybrid employees 2 weeks of remote work in August
Citi offers hybrid employees 2 weeks of remote work in August

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Citi offers hybrid employees 2 weeks of remote work in August

This story was originally published on Banking Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Banking Dive newsletter. Citi is allowing its hybrid employees to work remotely for two weeks of their choice in August, according to a memo seen Monday by Banking Dive. 'We've selected August because it is traditionally a quieter time for some of our businesses and clients, when many are already out of the office due to vacations,' Sara Wechter, the bank's chief human resources officer, wrote in the memo, first reported by Business Insider. Citi was an early COVID-era pioneer in its devotion to hybrid scheduling – a commitment the bank reaffirmed Monday, calling it an effective tool to attract and retain talent. While Citi has offered a similar two-week remote period to hybrid employees every December, it hasn't given a blanket out-of-office green light in August since 2022. Citi's lean into remote work runs counter to a prevailing industry trend that has seen JPMorgan Chase, BNY and Royal Bank of Canada, so far this year, increase the number of days employees are required to work from the office. JPMorgan in January told employees companywide to return to the office five days a week starting in March. 'We know that some of you prefer a hybrid schedule and respectfully understand that not everyone will agree with this decision,' JPMorgan's operating committee wrote at the time in a memo. 'We think it is the best way to run the company.' BNY called its employees back to the office four days a week starting in September – but with a caveat that the bank did not intend to push the mandate further. 'We have no plans to return to 5 days in office unless circumstances were to demand otherwise,' BNY said in its April memo. RBC, meanwhile, said last month that it wants its employees – at least those not already in the office full time or remote full time – to work from the office four days a week starting in September. That marks only a slight change, though, from the stance the Toronto-based lender took in March 2023, when it gave its hybrid workers the option to work from the office three or four days a week. RBC is not the only Canadian lender to tighten its reins on in-office work. Scotiabank last week said it would require teams that work in locations with 'real estate capacity' to begin coming into the office '4+ days per week' in September, according to an internal memo to Toronto area employees. 'We know having our teams working together in-person has many benefits – greater collaboration, higher engagement, more career development opportunities, and a stronger culture and sense of belonging – and we are already seeing the positive impact this is having across the bank as we focus on executing on our strategy,' Scotiabank spokesperson Clancy Zeifman said in an emailed statement seen by The Globe and Mail. For teams with more limited real estate, the in-office requirement will increase as space becomes available, the bank said. 'We will continue to build on this impact as we bring our teams on-site more often, with the goal of reaching four days onsite across the bank over time,' Zeifman said. The memo wasn't sent to branch workers, who are already working on-site full time. Likewise, Citi's August remote-weeks offer does not apply to branch workers, employees in non-hybrid roles or jobs that require staff to be on-site for regulatory reasons. The bank also specified that employees must work from a location where they have the legal right to do so. Citi chose a common time frame for its August offer because 'having a designated remote work period provides consistency across teams globally to meet our deliverables and client obligations.' 'Whether working in the office or remotely, it is essential that we remain as productive as ever, stay connected, collaborate effectively and deliver on our commitments,' Wechter said in the Citi memo. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Low-carbon jet fuel company foresees huge investment in western North Dakota
Low-carbon jet fuel company foresees huge investment in western North Dakota

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Low-carbon jet fuel company foresees huge investment in western North Dakota

Red Trail Energy near Richardton, North Dakota, was acquired by Gevo, a company that is developing sustainable jet fuel. (Photo by Amy Dalrymple/North Dakota Monitor) WEST FARGO, N.D. — The demand for jet fuel is going up. The demand for gasoline is going down. That's the simple explanation from Chris Ryan, the president and chief operating officer of Gevo, on why the company plans to add a sustainable aviation fuel plant to the corn-based ethanol plant it purchased at Richardton in southwest North Dakota. Ryan said the low-carbon jet fuel won't come cheap – throwing out a ballpark figure of $500 million for a potential project still years down the road. Ryan spoke Tuesday in Fargo at the Midwest Agriculture Summit hosted by The Chamber of Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo. Colorado-based Gevo bought the Red Trail Energy ethanol plant at Richardton last year. The Red Trail plant was the first ethanol producer in the country to implement carbon sequestration — capturing carbon dioxide from the plant's corn fermentation tanks and pumping it into permanent underground storage. The CO2 sequestration is key in lowering the carbon intensity score of the plant and for sustainable jet fuel production. Low-carbon fuels can fetch a higher price than traditional liquid fuels. 'We could make gasoline, but it's a diminishing market,' Ryan said. 'So jet fuel is a kind of sexy thing to talk about these days.' In an interview with the North Dakota Monitor, Ryan said there is plenty of room to add a jet fuel plant at the 500-acre Richardton site. He said the plant would add about 50 jobs, about the same number that the ethanol plant employs. Expanding the ethanol plant also is a possibility, Ryan said. The company also is considering adding wind turbines at Richardton to provide power and lower the carbon score even further, he said. Even though renewable energy tax credits are a possible target for budget cuts under President Donald Trump, he said wind energy at the site still makes good economic sense. Gevo also has plans for a sustainable aviation fuel plant at Lake Preston in southeast South Dakota. The future of that plant depends in large part on the five-state Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline project that would take carbon emissions from ethanol plants to western North Dakota for underground storage. Ryan said when the South Dakota project was conceived, it did not include carbon capture. But as construction costs soared with the COVID-19 pandemic, he said it became necessary to sign on to the Summit pipeline project. He said the federal tax credits for carbon sequestration would help offset the higher building costs. The project has stalled as Summit has run into permitting challenges and a new state law giving landowners more power in easement negotiations. 'We really need the pipeline,' Ryan said. He added that Gevo bought more land than it needed for the project. That is allowing for other projects at the site, benefiting Gevo and the Lake Preston area, he said. The Summit delays spurred the purchase of Red Trail, which had the advantage of sitting almost on top of an area suitable for underground carbon storage. 'We had to take our destiny into our own hands,' Ryan said, and not be dependent on the Summit pipeline. He said Gevo can 'copy and paste' the engineering work done for the South Dakota site to the Richardton site. While the carbon dioxide from the Richardton plant is being pumped underground, Ryan said Gevo recognizes that it has a potential for use in North Dakota's oilfields, making oil wells more productive through what is called enhanced oil recovery. North Dakota leaders have been trumpeting the economic benefits of enhanced oil recovery. Ryan said if the oil industry is willing to pay for carbon dioxide to use in enhanced oil recovery, Gevo would sell the CO2 rather than pump it underground. 'We don't care where the revenue comes from, right? Today, we sequester it for a tax credit, and we can sell carbon credits,' Ryan said. 'Or you can sell it to somebody for enhanced oil recovery.' He said he sees it as another advantage of doing business in North Dakota. 'People in North Dakota get that, they understand the value of that,' Ryan said. This story was originally published by North Dakota Monitor, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. North Dakota Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Amy Dalrymple for questions: info@

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store