Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers

10/08/2026

Reminder: Join WisARP in person on November 14, 2026!
Our Fall 2026 membership meeting will be in Oshkosh.
Register soon! https://wp.me/pbWVl-1Lq

10/07/2026

Three Amtrak trains in about 35 minutes this afternoon was a good show, including the 1340 Borealis with four coach cars. For rail fans, the surprise catch might have been the Amtrak 50th Anniversary Genesis engine on the point of the 8 Empire Builder.

10/06/2026

LAST CALL for seeing the first 1340 Borealis with four revenue passenger coach cars at Brookfield Rd today. (Tue, Oct6.). At 75-90 minutes out, this is what I’m seeing on the Amtrak trains here: The Empire Builder 8 eastbound is late. (Of course it is.). It might cruise by here shortly before 5p. The westbound Empire Builder if it stays on time could coast by here about 5p. The 1340 Borealis has been running about 10 minutes late most of the run today. It could scream by here about 5:25p or later. All these times are soft, of course. And let’s hope CPKC doesn’t inflict some freight train interference this afternoon.
Note: Coffeeville will be closed by the time these trains cruise by.
Also, please keep your school bus full of youngster aged school children off the tracks.
If you’re thinking of coming out, hope to see ya! Check the original post about this event for other details.

10/05/2026

This Tuesday, October 6, if you have nothing better to do, like go to San Diego to watch the Brewer game, c'mon out to Brookfield Rd- Brookfield and watch the first 1340 Borealis four-car train set roll by. Bring your camera and take a picture from the hill overlooking the CPKC tracks.
TIME: If the train is on time, it could roll by Brookfield Rd between 5p & 5:15p. Come a little early and start a conversation.
LOCATION: The Hill is the parking lot for Coffeeville, 2825 N Brookfield Rd. This is the old Milwaukee Rd Train Depot moved to the top of the hill. Note: Coffeeville will NOT be open during this event.
WHO: WisARP Members are certainly welcome, but any Borealis fan can come. Borealis Newsletter Editor Terry Brown will be there with the latest Borealis News.

10/03/2026

We're not at the Dane County Farmer's Market this weekend.
But we'll be back on October 17!
Mark your calendar to come by then.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1727555681634287

10/02/2026

August monthly numbers for Wisconsin routes (they're good!)
https://wp.me/pbWVl-1Mu

And a glimpse of one of the new Venture cab coaches coming to Hiawatha!

10/02/2026

If you live in West Central Wisconsin, please help our friends at the West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition: This survey is to help YOU. Take a moment and help the advocates working hard to bring service to you!

Do you live in West Central Wisconsin and travel to Tomah, La Crosse, Red Wing, or St. Paul to catch a train. Or are you from elsewhere and would take a train to Eau Claire/Altoona, Menomonie, Baldwin, Hudson/River Falls, or Lake Elmo/Oak Park Heights area? If so, we need you to take our survey on how you'd use a train to these cities if it were available. Just five questions at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_lClRMXhwd8kXdjYZiekK7Xu8qN4i_tW70WwWOE794Gim5w/viewform

09/28/2026

500,000 passengers in 2 years and 4 months.
Full trains all summer
Full trains most weekends
25% more capacity starting next week.
Also see https://media.amtrak.com/2026/09/borealis-trains-reach-half-million-customer-milestone/
There's a lot of good news!

We think it's a great start. This is what success looks like. Amtrak and the State DOTs should be pleased.

Now the real work begins. There are easy, inexpensive investments to improve reliability, improve the station experience, improve the first-mile/last-mile experience, and improve the onboard experience.

Join us and help with the next round of improvements!

BOREALIS CELEBRATES 500k RIDERS: More than half a million people have now ridden the Borealis since its debut in 2024.

WisDOT is proud to support this popular passenger rail service in collaboration with Amtrak, Minnesota, and Illinois. The Borealis connects the Twin Cities to Chicago and makes stops at eight locations in Wisconsin.

The Borealis not only spurs economic growth but also provides perks for riders such as low cost, convenience, Wi-Fi, scenic views, and more. Read more: https://media.amtrak.com/2026/09/borealis-trains-reach-half-million-customer-milestone/

09/28/2026

Here's the most recent Borealis Newsletter. This began hitting the stations in Wisconsin the last week of August. Borealis ridership for June and July were up, and if you rode the Borealis anytime during this summer, Thank You!! It's always a pleasure to talk up the Borealis wherever I go. If you've been following the news updates on this page or the WisARP Website, this issue might not be "new" news.

09/26/2026

Big Sky's North Coast project will restore the long distance route from Chicago, Wisconsin, and the Twin Cities to the Pacific Northwest via southern Montana (instead of the Empire Builder's route across northern Montana) that was discontinued in 1979's cuts.

This means additional frequencies serving Wisconsin communities every day and more connections to the national network.

Wisconsin welcomes the additional connectivity and new frequencies. We see tremendous potential for economic development. We encourage the eight states and dozens of communities along the route to contribute toward the inexpensive planning efforts required to establish feasibility, determine capital investment needed, and advance this worthy project to shovel-ready.