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Economic Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Passenger rail revival gains steam as Amtrak Borealis and Virginia services break ridership records
Borealis sets Midwest standard for passenger rail Live Events Regional demand fuels interstate cooperation Virginia rail corridor surges toward expansion (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel From the cafe cars serving local specialties to Mississippi River views and seamless city access, passengers across the Midwest and Virginia are increasingly choosing trains over highways and airports. This growing demand is not just about convenience, it is a key signal that regional logistics are shifting in the United brought unprecedented success for Amtrak's Borealis and Virginia services, offering new insights into how modern rail infrastructure can meet public transportation needs while easing freight and road read: USA's iconic Amtrak rail service to be privatized? Elon Musk suggests so, CEO steps down; here's what Donald Trump could do next Launched in May 2024, Amtrak's Borealis train connecting St. Paul, Minnesota, to Chicago has surpassed projections in just 11 months. More than 205,800 passengers boarded the Borealis during that time. When combined with the Empire Builder service on the same corridor, total St. Paul–Chicago ridership reached over 293,000, a staggering 227 per cent jump from the previous daily service, supported by Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, is now considered a case study in successful state-sponsored passenger rail logistics. Amtrak President Roger Harris credited 'strong collaboration with our partners' for exceeding expectations and reaffirmed the company's commitment to providing 'a reliable, efficient and safe way to travel.'Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger emphasized that the results validate the state's investment: 'The ridership numbers clearly demonstrate the need to have safe, reliable transportation options for Minnesotans.'The Borealis route features midday and late-morning departures with popular amenities, including reclining seats, spacious legroom and scenic views. Regular Amtrak discounts further broaden read: Amtrak has the perfect comment on free baggage rules after Southwest Airlines' policy change Logistics leaders across state lines echoed the growing demand for efficient rail service. Illinois DOT Acting Secretary Gia Biagi noted that Borealis' early popularity 'shows that appetite extends beyond our borders and throughout the Midwest.'In Wisconsin, the Borealis marks the first passenger rail expansion in over two decades. Secretary Kristina Boardman highlighted its impact in smaller communities and major urban centers alike: 'The train has since become a resounding success story.'This regional model, driven by public-private cooperation and infrastructure investment has helped reframe rail from a nostalgic concept into a modern logistics Amtrak Virginia posted a record April with 129,670 passengers, the highest for that month since the service began. All four routes saw increases, with Roanoke leading at 11.8 per cent Norfolk route drew the highest traffic with 49,246 passengers. Amtrak Virginia's recent monthly performance, including strong results in March and December, places three of its five best ridership months in the past read: China unveils world's fastest high-speed train prototype, to travel at 450 kmph Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) Executive Director DJ Stadtler sees this surge as a clear sign of future demand: 'We see the need and are working to expand service through our Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative as soon as possible.'VPRA's expansion includes the New River Valley Project, reconnecting Christiansburg to passenger rail for the first time since 1979, and the Long Bridge Project, which will double rail capacity between Arlington and Washington, D.C., by state aims to grow daily Amtrak Virginia roundtrips from eight to 13, bolstering logistics across Norfolk, Roanoke, Newport News, Richmond and the Northeast both Borealis and Virginia services gain momentum, they offer a new blueprint for regional passenger rail logistics by blending infrastructure, policy and demand to reshape US transportation's next era.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Passenger rail revival gains steam as Amtrak Borealis and Virginia services break ridership records
From the cafe cars serving local specialties to Mississippi River views and seamless city access, passengers across the Midwest and Virginia are increasingly choosing trains over highways and airports. This growing demand is not just about convenience, it is a key signal that regional logistics are shifting in the United States. April brought unprecedented success for Amtrak's Borealis and Virginia services, offering new insights into how modern rail infrastructure can meet public transportation needs while easing freight and road congestion. Also read: USA's iconic Amtrak rail service to be privatized? Elon Musk suggests so, CEO steps down; here's what Donald Trump could do next Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kulkas yang belum Terjual dengan Harga Termurah (Lihat harga) Cari Sekarang Undo Borealis sets Midwest standard for passenger rail Launched in May 2024, Amtrak's Borealis train connecting St. Paul, Minnesota, to Chicago has surpassed projections in just 11 months. More than 205,800 passengers boarded the Borealis during that time. When combined with the Empire Builder service on the same corridor, total St. Paul–Chicago ridership reached over 293,000, a staggering 227 per cent jump from the previous year. This daily service, supported by Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, is now considered a case study in successful state-sponsored passenger rail logistics. Amtrak President Roger Harris credited 'strong collaboration with our partners' for exceeding expectations and reaffirmed the company's commitment to providing 'a reliable, efficient and safe way to travel.' Live Events Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger emphasized that the results validate the state's investment: 'The ridership numbers clearly demonstrate the need to have safe, reliable transportation options for Minnesotans.' The Borealis route features midday and late-morning departures with popular amenities, including reclining seats, spacious legroom and scenic views. Regular Amtrak discounts further broaden accessibility. Also read: Amtrak has the perfect comment on free baggage rules after Southwest Airlines' policy change Regional demand fuels interstate cooperation Logistics leaders across state lines echoed the growing demand for efficient rail service. Illinois DOT Acting Secretary Gia Biagi noted that Borealis' early popularity 'shows that appetite extends beyond our borders and throughout the Midwest.' In Wisconsin, the Borealis marks the first passenger rail expansion in over two decades. Secretary Kristina Boardman highlighted its impact in smaller communities and major urban centers alike: 'The train has since become a resounding success story.' This regional model, driven by public-private cooperation and infrastructure investment has helped reframe rail from a nostalgic concept into a modern logistics solution. Virginia rail corridor surges toward expansion Meanwhile, Amtrak Virginia posted a record April with 129,670 passengers, the highest for that month since the service began. All four routes saw increases, with Roanoke leading at 11.8 per cent growth. The Norfolk route drew the highest traffic with 49,246 passengers. Amtrak Virginia's recent monthly performance, including strong results in March and December, places three of its five best ridership months in the past year. Also read: China unveils world's fastest high-speed train prototype, to travel at 450 kmph Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) Executive Director DJ Stadtler sees this surge as a clear sign of future demand: 'We see the need and are working to expand service through our Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative as soon as possible.' VPRA's expansion includes the New River Valley Project, reconnecting Christiansburg to passenger rail for the first time since 1979, and the Long Bridge Project, which will double rail capacity between Arlington and Washington, D.C., by 2030. The state aims to grow daily Amtrak Virginia roundtrips from eight to 13, bolstering logistics across Norfolk, Roanoke, Newport News, Richmond and the Northeast Corridor. As both Borealis and Virginia services gain momentum, they offer a new blueprint for regional passenger rail logistics by blending infrastructure, policy and demand to reshape US transportation's next era.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
St. Paul-to-Chicago Amtrak Borealis sidelined by corrosion
An inspection uncovered corrosion on several of the railcars used on the new Amtrak Borealis line from downtown St. Paul to Chicago, leading to the decision to remove them from service on Wednesday and shuttle passengers by bus in both directions. It's unclear when Amtrak will resume rail trips. Amtrak officials issued a statement Wednesday indicating they worked with the manufacturer of the Horizon railcars and 'decided to remove the equipment from service after learning of additional areas of concern from intensive inspections of multiple cars.' The decision impacts service on multiple Amtrak lines to varying degrees, including the Downeaster, Hiawatha, Borealis and Amtrak Cascades. Some trains, such as the Downeaster, will operate with fewer cars, while 'other services will be provided substitute transportation until a long-term plan is developed,' reads the statement. The Borealis runs round-trips daily between Chicago and St. Paul through Milwaukee, and Hiawatha operates daily with multiple trips between Chicago and Milwaukee. On Wednesday, about half of the Hiawatha departures were replaced by chartered buses as substitute transportation, as were departures in both directions for the Borealis. The Empire Builder service that stops in St. Paul as its travels from Seattle or Portland, Ore. to Chicago was not impacted. An Amtrak spokesperson on Wednesday said no other information was available. After years of clamoring for a second daily round-trip from Minnesota's capital city to Chicago, the Borealis launched last May. Amtrak indefinitely replacing its St. Paul-Chicago Borealis service with buses Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport upgrading snow removal equipment Could the Gold Line spur economic development? Some say it already has. Delta plane from MSP that flipped in Toronto showed high rate of descent, initial report says St. Paul-to-Woodbury Gold Line is ready to roll on dedicated lanes. Here are things to know.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amtrak indefinitely replacing its St. Paul-Chicago Borealis service with buses
Amtrak's daily Borealis service between St. Paul and Chicago has been indefinitely suspended, with buses replacing trains. The cause of the cancellation is corrosion of passenger railcars used on the route. Amtrak made the announcement Wednesday morning and said the cancellation also affected its Downeaster, Hiawatha and Cascades service. The national passenger rail operator said the corrosion was discovered in several of its aging Horizon cars, which date to the late 1980s. Amtrak said that, in consultation with the manufacturer, it decided to removed the equipment from service 'after learning of additional areas of concern from intensive inspection of multiple cars.' Amtrak added that some trains will operate with fewer cars, 'while other services will be provided substitute transportation until a long-term plan is developed.' According to the corroded railcars number 70 — 61 coaches and nine food-service cars — manufactured by Bombardier, now part of Alstom. Wednesday's Borealis service was canceled between St. Paul's Union Depot and Chicago's Union Station and replaced with buses. Amtrak's daily Empire Builder service connecting Chicago, St. Paul and Seattle-Portland, Ore., isn't affected by the equipment problem. The Borealis route launched last May following decades of advocacy by Twin Cities rail fans eager to see a second daily train to Chicago. The Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago corridor has proven popular, with preliminary figures showing more than 18,500 riders hopping aboard the Borealis in the first month alone. Amtrak says updates about the service disruptions will be announced on its free mobile app or by text or phone at 877-231-9448. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport upgrading snow removal equipment Could the Gold Line spur economic development? Some say it already has. Delta plane from MSP that flipped in Toronto showed high rate of descent, initial report says St. Paul-to-Woodbury Gold Line is ready to roll on dedicated lanes. Here are things to know. New West Seventh Street transit plan ready for public input
