ST PAUL, Minn. — It’s the Thursday of MEA weekend and St. Paul’s Union Depot is packed.
Bel and I are in line with 277 other people waiting to board the Borealis, Amtrak’s latest line that offers daily service from St. Paul to Chicago.
Shortly before noon, the conductor calls, “all aboard,” and the crowd starts making its way to the platform eager to claim their seats, which are first-come, first-served.
Every seat on this trip is taken, partly because it’s MEA weekend, but also because the popularity of the new line is “gangbusters,” according to Amtrak’s spokesperson, Marc Magliari.
Magliari says since Borealis launched in May, ridership has exceeded even Amtrak’s expectations, hitting 100,000 riders in just five months.
“If we could add more cars, we would,” Magliari said.
Bel and I are taking the train all the way to its final destination: Chicago’s Union Station. But there are 11 other stops along the way from Red Wing to La Crosse, the Wisconsin Dells and Milwaukee.
As we get underway and people settle into their seats, first-time riders are pleasantly surprised by the size of the seats and the amount of legroom they have. Also worth noting, on Amtrak, there are no middle seats.
Comfort is important because if you're riding the Borealis all the way to Chicago, you'll be in these seats for seven-and-a-half hours — about the same amount of time as driving.
So, why ride when you could fly or drive? Most passengers we spoke to said it was about the experience. Several fellow riders enjoyed the atmosphere, saying it was laid back and friendly. Other riders appreciated the price, which is typically lower than flying.
One-way tickets on the Borealis from St. Paul to Chicago start at $41, but like airlines, the pricing is dynamic so the higher the demand, the higher the price.
During peak travel times fares can go as high as $179, but for kids 2 to 12 years old, tickets are always half-price.
For members of the Beegle family, this trip is all about the kids. There are, after all, 17 kids in their group of 24.
When making plans for their family reunion in Wisconsin Dells, they chose the train because they have fond memories of a train ride with their grandparents 25 years ago.
A couple of cars over, Rhea and Dave Miller are making those same memories with their grandchildren, Cooper and Brooks. The Millers wanted to give the boys a taste of train travel to see what they think, so they booked tickets to Red Wing.
We stopped in Red Wing first, just 45 minutes into the journey. Each stop takes only about five to 10 minutes before we're on our way again.
The snack bar is a popular site on board, where you can buy standard fare like a burger and chips as well as some adult beverages.
But if you're looking for a full dining car with tablecloths and a menu, you're on the wrong train.
You can find that — as well as a second-story observation deck and private sleeping — on the Empire Builder. It, too, travels daily from St. Paul to Chicago, but it originates on the West Coast and is more frequently delayed.
Back on the Borealis, Bel and I are pleasantly surprised by how fast the time has flown and how relaxed the ride has been.
We pull into Union Station at 7:15 p.m., all of us filing off the train and ready to start the next part of our adventure.