Dells, Portage, Columbus anticipate tourism glow from Amtrak's Borealis train starting Tuesday (2024)

Businesses and officials in Columbus, Wisconsin Dells and Portage are hoping a new daily train line starting Tuesday will bring more visitors and tourism revenue along with easier access between communities.

The Amtrak Borealis train is set to make its first run from Chicago to Minnesota’s Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, and vice versa on Tuesday. Amtrak stations in Columbus, Portage, Wisconsin Dells and Tomah will be among its stops, joining the long-running Empire Builder train.

“The combination of the Empire Builder and Borealis will give you two trains to and from Chicago every day,” Amtrak communications representative Marc Magliari said.

“Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis are three of our top guest metro markets, so we are excited to see this new train service coming into the Wisconsin Dells area,” Wilderness Resort chief operating officer Joe Eck said, highlighting the potential to bring additional tourism revenue.

Families can eliminate the added stress of driving to Wisconsin Dells from Chicago, the Twin Cities, or Milwaukee, allowing them to “focus on having fun,” Eck added.

The new Borealis train will feature a cafe car with regional food and beverage items. Unlike the Empire Builder, which features overnight ridership and private rooms on its double-decker cars, the Borealis will be a daytime train with one seating level. Free Wi-Fi will be available on the Borealis.

The new Borealis trains will also stop at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee and in Sturtevant, two stops not covered by the Empire Builder line.

Fares for the Borealis train start at $41 for a full one-way trip from the Twin Cities to Chicago or vice versa. Ticket pricing will vary based on trip distance, destination, when tickets are purchased, coach and business class seating, weekday and weekend travel, and adults, children, seniors, veterans and groups.

“Although Wisconsin Dells is primarily a ‘drive-to’ destination, an increasing number of visitors are coming here via other forms of transportation, including rail,” said Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau president and CEO Jill Diehl. “The new Borealis line will provide opportunity for ‘non-drivers,’ as well as those who prefer not to drive, to experience the wonder of Wisconsin Dells.”

Columbus Mayor Joe Hammer said that the new Borealis train is “huge for Columbus” and it will bring more visitors to the city and provide opportunity to explore its downtown and restaurants.

Hammer has supplied packets of items from the city for the train’s first passengers, including booklets about the city’s historic architecture. T-shirts and ornaments are also part of the packets.

“I sent it all to Chicago to the Amtrak folks, where they’ll put the stuff together and send the stuff to Minneapolis,” Columbus mayor Joe Hammer said. “There are also items from other communities along the route.”

A short celebration is planned for the Borealis’ inaugural eastbound arrival at about 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Amtrak Depot at 359 N. Ludington St., Columbus.

A little before 4 p.m. Tuesday, a welcoming event for the Borealis train will take place at the Portage Amtrak station. Mayor Mitch Craig will give remarks, along with officials from Amtrak, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, state Rep. Dave Considine, D-Baraboo, and state Sen. Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan. The Portage High School band and cheerleading squad will perform.

“We are certainly excited to have an additional train stop for Portage,” said Marianne Hanson, president of the Portage Area Chamber of Commerce. “Having this additional stop can attract additional tourists, boosting local businesses such as restaurants, shops, convenience stores and hotels.”

Residents who travel for work or want to leisurely travel have increased access to nearby cities such as Wisconsin Dells, Hanson added. The additional train stops are “great for our area,” she said.

The Borealis from Chicago to the Twin Cities is scheduled to travel through Columbus, Portage, Wisconsin Dells and Tomah, with stops at 1:41, 2:13, 2:33, and 3:17 p.m., respectively.

The line going the opposite direction will travel the same corridor between 2:50 to 4:30 p.m., with the Tomah, Dells, Portage, and Columbus stops at 2:57, 3:40, 3:58, and 4:26 p.m.

Empire Builder lines from Chicago run through the area from 5:50 to 7:20 p.m. Eastbound Empire Builder trains towards Chicago travel the stretch from 12:10 to 1:50 p.m.

Tickets are now available for the Borealis line and can be booked on Amtrak’s website. Time length between stops is comparable to the Empire Builder. Tickets for coach seating is slightly cheaper for the Borealis than for Empire Builder, which travels from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest.

No official event is planned in Wisconsin Dells, but Magliari said Amtrak officials will talk to anyone who is at the station during its scheduled stop at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday.

An event is planned for Tomah, Magliari said.

In an Amtrak release announcing the new line, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson said doubling the frequency of train service will benefit businesses, universities and tourism along the corridor.

Planning for the Borealis has been in the works for roughly a decade, Magliari said. The three states covered by the new train — Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota — all sponsor the Borealis. A $31.8 million federal grant in March of 2022 helped fund the project.

Lee Newspapers reporter Julie Belschner contributed to this report.