Amtrak’s Borealis line affected Thursday by issue with railcars — bus service used as alternative

Passengers expecting to ride Amtrak’s Borealis train between the Twin Cities and Chicago, with a stop in La Crosse, will get a bus ride instead.  

Amtrak said that during a routine inspection, it discovered corrosion on some of the Horizon railcars used on the Borealis and other lines.  

The cars were pulled from service.   

In the case of the Borealis line, Amtrak is substituting a bus ride instead of the train Thursday for the St. Paul to Chicago run.  

Stops on the Borealis line include Winona, Minn., La Crosse, and Tomah, Wis.

Amtrak said the Chicago to St. Paul trip would run as normal. 

Trains will operate in both directions on Friday.  

The corrosion issue on railcars also affects several other Amtrak routes including the Hiawatha route between Milwaukee and Chicago.  

Some of the routes are using buses to transport passengers, while others are operating with fewer cars on the tracks as Amtrak works toward a solution.