New US Rail Route Makes Profit in Less Than Two Weeks

A new rail route was able to turn a profit in just 11 days – one of Amtrak's few state-supported lines to do so.

Amtrak's St. Paul to Chicago route brought in $600,000 in operating revenue during May whilst only costing $500,000 in operating expenses – a $100,000 operating profit despite being open for less than two weeks.

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According to a monthly performance report released at the end of June, the new line, known as Borealis, served 6,600 passengers in the short time in which it was operational since its launch on May 21.

"We have not used [the term profitable] to describe the service and would not do so in such a short time," an Amtrak spokesman told Newsweek.

The Borealis route, first referred to as Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago (TCMC) during planning, supplements the preexisting long-distance Empire Builder passenger train.

The new service was sponsored by the states of Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The project was also the beneficiary of federal grants.

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The Borealis has 11 intermediate stops, completing the journey in approximately 7 hours and 24 minutes. Key stops include Milwaukee, Winona, La Crosse, and Red Wing, with the terminals being Chicago Union Station and Saint Paul Union Depot.

"There were years when it seemed as if today's announcement would never take place, and yet here we are today celebrating a new round trip that will transform transportation in this busy corridor," said Jim Mathews, Rail Passengers' President and CEO said in May ahead of the new line's opening.

"Passenger trains mean trips that are taken off of highways and out of the sky, saving lives, limiting pollution, and opening up new possibilities. These new trains also mean new trips that would not have otherwise taken place at all, producing direct returns for the communities they serve," he added.

The news comes as Americans are clamoring for improved rail connectivity across the country, according to a recent poll conducted exclusively for Newsweek.

According to the survey, 60 percent of eligible voters supported the construction of new high-speed railways across the country, versus only seven percent who were opposed.

A majority of respondents also backed a ban on short-haul flights for journeys that could be completed by rail in under two and a half hours.

Earlier in June, Newsweek reported that plans for a $1.3 billion moveable rail bridge in Connecticut are set to get underway after Amtrak awarded a construction contract for the project.

Amtrak claims the bridge will operate at a maximum speed of 70 miles per hour – a 55 percent increase over the current maximum operating speed – and will improve reliability and reduce delays.

Update, 7/25/24, 11:53 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Amtrak.

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