Expanding the network of intercity passenger rail

Overview

All Aboard Minnesota advocates for an expanded network of intercity passenger rail to provide Minnesota residents with more alternatives to driving and air travel. We believe that passenger train service on existing freight rail corridors is most cost effective. Our priorities are:

  • Support of the Borealis including more capacity (more passenger cars) and roll-on bicycle accommodation
  • New DAYTIME service between Saint Paul and Fargo/Moorhead
  • New service between the Twin Cities and Kansas City, MO; connecting to Amtrak long distance trains to the West and Southwest
  • New rolling stock on both the Empire Builder and the Borealis
  • Continue to monitor planning for the Northern Lights Express

Passenger rail should receive state support

Intercity passenger rail, like airports and airlines, roads, and bridges, need state financial support. The Federal Railroad Administration pays for and operates long-distance trains (750-mile or longer corridors), such as the Empire Builder, but shorter routes like the Borealis need state funding for capital investment and operating costs. The federal government provides an 80 percent capital match for state supported projects and supports operating costs for the first few years of new service.

Where are we today?

Empire Builder. Currently, two passenger trains – operated by Amtrak – serve Minnesota: the “Empire Builder” and the “Borealis.” The “Empire Builder,” a long-distance National Network train, connects Chicago with Seattle/Portland. In Minnesota, this train serves Winona, Red Wing, the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Staples, Detroit Lakes, and the Fargo/Moorhead area. Amtrak is considering the addition of a stop in Anoka, creating a west metro station option for the Twin Cities. This stop would utilize the former Northstar Commuter rail station and parking facilities.

Borealis. Minnesota is also served by the “Borealis,” operating once per day in each direction between Chicago to Saint Paul on the same route as the “Empire Builder.” The Borealis makes two additional stops in Wisconsin. The Borealis is the first new passenger train in Minnesota since the discontinuation of the Twin Cities to Duluth “Northstar” in 1985.

The Borealis is a partnership among the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. The Minnesota legislature provided matching funds for federal grants for this new service. Wisconsin is the primary contractor for Borealis service.

Since commencing operation in May 2024, ridership on the Borealis continues to outpace forecasted ridership. The service carried over 416,000 riders in its first two years!

Northern Lights Express. (underline title) This proposed service between Minneapolis and Duluth is currently being evaluated in the federal Corridor ID process. The project has been waiting for over a year to advance from Step 1 of the planning process to Step 2. In 2023, the Minnesota legislature allocated $194 million for a state match to federal funding, but with slow progress at the federal level, $77 million was transferred in 2025 by the Minnesota legislature to other state programs. This reduction in funds for NLX does not impact Minnesota’s construction phase spending or the necessary match for federal funding.

Unfortunately, the legislature during the 2026 session put a sunset date of July 30, 2028 on the funding.

What We Propose

Click the map to enlarge.

All Aboard Minnesota studied all the potential rail routes in the state of Minnesota and surrounding region. We evaluated population, current track conditions and speeds, past ridership and schedules, conducted surveys of Amtrak passengers and reviewed the Federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics Travel Survey data.

From these studies, we identified seven “population corridors” with the potential for passenger train service in Minnesota and the surrounding region. Population served informs ridership potential. For most of these corridors, three roundtrip trains each way (with morning, noon and evening departures) would maximize ridership and revenues.

With proper planning, we believe these routes vastly improve rural and urban mobility options. They also allow for safe and fast travel, especially during Minnesota’s harsh winter conditions. New routes would also bring new economic development to cities and communities across rural Minnesota. A Michigan study found an additional $60 million of economic activity generated per year around their Amtrak stations after investing in intercity rail. The more city pairs that are connected, the more ridership each route will have.

For new intercity train routes to function most effectively, maximize ridership, and achieve real connectivity in the long term, the state should create a dedicated intercity passenger rail route between the two downtown ‘anchor’ stations (Saint Paul Union Depot and Target Field Station); a distance of 11 miles.

Learn More

In the green side bar above are the routes we propose connecting the state to the region, click on each for a description and our rationale. They are in order of priority based on ridership potential, cost and challenges to implement.