Borealis (TCMC) starts on May 21, 2024

Amtrak announced that the new Borealis service, formerly “TCMC”, will begin on May 21, 2024. Tickets are available immediately.

Borealis train numbers 1333 and 1340 replace Hiawatha trains 333 and 340 on the same schedule between Milwaukee and Chicago, providing late morning departures from St Paul and Chicago and early evening arrivals. Borealis stops at all Amtrak stations between St Paul and Chicago.

The Empire Builder schedule is unchanged by introduction of the newly added service.

The new service will begin with four Horizon coaches and a business class / cafe car (Source: Great River Rail Commission). No checked baggage.

• Amtrak Press Release
• Amtrak Borealis Website
• Wisconsin DOT announcement
• WisARP Press Release

Share your photos and experiences of this new service with WisARP!

Amtrak has not announced additional Thruway bus services connecting to the new service.

The new service ends a nine-year odyssey since the 2015 release of the Amtrak feasibility study, and finally closes 18 months of anticipation caused by several knowledgeable sources claiming “soon” since late 2022.

The new service will be partially subsidized for the first three years of operation by a $12.5 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Restoration and Enhancement Grant program. Additional operating subsidy must be paid by the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Borealis begins with $31 million of infrastructure improvements incomplete, mostly in La Crosse and in Minnesota (source: WisDOT). These improvement are funded, and will still occur after service begins.

Update 2024-05-07: Amtrak’s first known test train departed Chicago on May 7, and returned on May 8. (YouTube: The test train at La Crosse)

Our event list is updated frequently. Check back often!

If you have details of an event that we missed, please let us know!

Train 1340 Events:

• St Paul Union Depot: Gala sponsored by Amtrak. Train tours begin at 9:00 a.m. Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 10:45 a.m.
• Red Wing: Starting at 11:30 a.m., make and take crafts for all ages, live music, food trucks, a presentation from MnDOT and local dignitaries, and a ribbon cutting.
• Winona: Welcoming ceremony at 12:45 p.m. with comments by legislators, regional and local dignitaries, along with a proclamation of Borealis Day by Winona Mayor Scott Sherman. The Winona Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors will do a ribbon cutting at 1:40 p.m. Some vendor booths and refreshments will be available.
• La Crosse: Official Wisconsin DOT welcome event. Community celebration at 12:00. Press conference at 1:45 p.m.
• Columbus: Reception at 4:00 p.m. with refreshments.

Train 1333 Events:

• Milwaukee Airport: Milwaukee City and County press conference hosted by Mayor Johnson and County Executive Crowley prior to train arrival.

Other Events:

• The Great River Rail Commission’s home page has added a countdown timer to service start.

Share your photos and experiences of these events with WisARP!