passenger rail

Amtrak adds second passenger train between St. Paul and Chicago

May 8, 2024

The Great River Rail Commission has shared details for Amtrak Borealis trains that will begin daily, round-trip service on May 21 and run from Union Depot in Saint Paul to Union Station in Chicago, doubling the capacity for rail travel between the two cities. Amtrak Borealis trains will make...

Privately-owned rail cars roll through town with Amtrak Empire Builder train

Apr 10, 2024

Three cars at the end of a southbound Amtrak train on Wednesday, April 3, were a stark departure from the usual silver with red, white and blue stripe color scheme. That’s because these weren’t Amtrak cars, but instead were privately owned cars, according to an Amtrak spokesperson. Car owners can...

Time for action on passenger rail

Apr 17, 2019

This spring, legislators are having a serious debate on passenger rail in Minnesota. As a member of the Great River Rail Commission, I believe they should invest now.You may have heard about an effort to increase passenger rail service in the area. The Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago (TCMC) Second...

TCMC second train is moving forward

Apr 11, 2018

I’d like to squelch a rumor. Ever since a state legislative committee in December rejected a federal grant for environmental work on higher-speed passenger rail, I’ve been asked over and over if that impacts the second train to Chicago project. The answer is no. The Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago (...

Peters honored for passenger rail advocacy

Jan 10, 2018

Andru Peters of Lake City received a letter thanking him for his work on the Minnesota High Speed Rail Commission. Writing on behalf of the commission, staff member Kevin Roggenbuck thanked Peters for his “faithful attendance and service at public engagement events” to communicate the importance...