Amtrak Borealis service welcomed by first riders as the train rolls across Wisconsin 

Local train travel enthusiasts celebrate the new service and share their experience after taking the first quick round-trip ride on the Borealis

There is something special about riding a train. As Jeb Brooks, a popular YouTube travel blogger, puts it, Amtrak is a blend of public transportation, amusement ride, and a national treasure. It’s the exact enthusiasm Jimmy Killerlain, his wife, and her cousin have been feeling after enjoying a round trip on the first day of service for the Amtrak Borealis.

This new route connects Chicago to St. Paul with a half-dozen stops across Wisconsin.

Roll past gentle hills and picturesque farmland between the bustling hubs of Chicago and the Twin Cities. Scale Sugar Loaf Bluff in Winona and watch the Mighty Mississippi roll by. Dive into family fun in the Dells and sample culture, curds, and a tall cold one in Milwaukee.

Description of the Borealis route from the Amtrak website

The start of the new service on Tuesday also doubles passenger train options in the state. Many say it’s considered a promising way to bring the joy of traveling by train to even more people. Killerlain already says he can’t wait for the opportunity to do it again. 

“To have a daytime option to get to Milwaukee or La Crosse for the day is great,” Killerlain says. “I definitely plan to take advantage of that.”

 First Ride Excitement

The excitement of the first ride on this new line started for Killerlain at the Town Pub in Columbus. It’s just two blocks from the Columbus Amtrak Station. And as he connected with his traveling companions there, it turned out many other passengers-to-be had the same idea. 

A now large group of excited travelers walked from the pub to the station, hopped aboard, and enjoyed the quick ride to Portage. It’s where Killerlain chose to exit the train. 

“In Portage, we met a friend for lunch at Schu’s Pit Stop, across the street from the Portage Station,” Killerlain explains. “An hour later, we caught the southbound Borealis back to Columbus.”

And just like that, the inaugural ride was over. Killerlain didn’t have enough time this particular day to take the entire route. But days later, the excitement of being on the Borealis hasn’t dissipated.

“This is huge for Wisconsin’s economy! Illinois and Minnesota, too,” Killerlain says. “You can now get on in St. Paul or Chicago at 11am and arrive at the other end in about six or seven hours.”

The best part?

“A wonderful opportunity to just kick back without worries about driving,” Killerlain explains. “And all the while you are also helping the environment by putting a few less cars on the road.”  

And though he has been a passenger on Amtrak in other parts of the country, Killerlain and his friends agree, an expansion of this type of public transportation would be welcome. And not just in Wisconsin, but across the country. 

Read more about the Amtrak Borealis route here, and view these photos of the first ride as documented by Jimmy Killerlain: