Amtrak Borealis train between St. Paul and Chicago switches to bus service due to car corrosion
The Amtrak Borealis train between St. Paul and Chicago is being temporarily switched to a bus replacement service after workers discovered corrosion problems involving several train cars.
A spokesperson with Amtrak tells Bring Me The News routine inspections also found corrosion on Horizon passenger cars on three other lines of service.
'We discovered corrosion in several Horizon railcars and, while working with the manufacturer, decided to remove the equipment from service after learning of additional areas of concern from intensive inspections of multiple cars,' Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said.
Magliari added the removal of cars affects the Downeaster, Hiawatha, Borealis and Amtrak Cascades routes as of Tuesday.
A total of 70 cars — 61 coaches and nine food-service cars — are affected, according to Amtrak. It's not known at this time for how long the Borealis will be operated by replacement buses.
The Borealis runs between St. Paul and Chicago in each direction daily and has become a popular trip for passengers since launching last May. According to Amtrak, its first 22 weeks of operation saw more than 100,000 passengers use the service.
The Borealis train also stops in Red Wing and Winona before stopping in several Wisconsin cities before reaching its destination in Chicago at Union Station.
The Empire Builder, which operates between Chicago and Seattle, with a stop in St. Paul, is not impacted.
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