Amtrak Study Suggests Benefits To Increasing St. Paul-To-Chicago Rail Service

A new study suggests that adding a second passenger train from the Twin Cities to Chicago could be popular and offer travelers more options.

A rider taking the Amtrak in Wisconsin only has one chance to head eastbound or westbound each day. But, the eastbound train is frequently delayed because of freight traffic and some passengers say the boarding times are inconvenient.

The state departments of transportation in Wisconsin and Minnesota, along with La Crosse County, asked Amtrak to do a feasibility study on expanding service. It found that adding a train from St. Paul to Chicago could bring on 155,000 more passengers annually, on top of the 104,000 the current Empire Builder line carries. According to Amtrak, train frequency drives ridership numbers up. Another line would also improve reliability.

Steve O’Malley, the La Crosse County Administrator, said he’s heard positive feedback about the idea.

“So we’ve gotten a lot of feedback from business community members that this would be a viable means to do less car travel, less need for air travel from our market to the Twin Cities or Chicago,” O’Malley said, adding that it could also help get more tourists to La Crosse.

Costs still need to be fine-tuned, but the project could cost $95.5 million. The states may have to chip in at least $6.6 million for the project.

If the project moves forward, it’s up to the states to decide whether or not to use Amtrak for the passenger rail or to find another operator.

More studies will be underway over the next year to look into actual costs, infrastructure improvements, and environmental reviews. It’ll also explore the option of expanding the line to Minneapolis and St. Cloud, MN.