The Borealis train service between Minnesota and Chicago recently celebrated its two-year anniversary to mostly positive reviews.
First some good news. Ridership has exceeded expectations, says Chris Meyer, Chair of the Great River Rail Commission.
"Ridership has been over 416,000 passengers in the first two years, and what the estimate was in the beginning was like 155,000 a year," Meyer explains. "So that would have been around 300,000. It's almost 100,000 more passengers than were anticipated."
But, Meyer says they also have a wish list going forward.
"We would really love to get newer cars and or higher capacity for the train," she explains. "We would also love to be able to have cars where folks could put their bike on the train. So, we're disappointed about that."
Overall, Meyer says its been a successful two years, with building excitement for the $19 million in track upgrades from Winona to La Crescent.
"Most people who live in Winona know there's many railroad crossings, and it isn't uncommon to be late to things because there was a train," Meyer adds. "And so all those track upgrades are going to help us with some of those issues as well. So that's a fabulous thing for us."
Meyer also said there is talk about adding a second Borealis train in the future.
