About the project
The Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago Intercity Passenger Rail Project (TCMC) will add a second daily round trip passenger train on the 411-mile rail corridor (used by Amtrak’s long-distance Empire Builder) between Chicago and the Twin Cities.
The project will provide more choices and travel flexibility, with morning and mid-day departures from St. Paul and Chicago. It will also provide more reliable service with better on-time performance for both passenger and freight trains.
Planning, design and construction
The project is in the final design phase. We anticipate construction to begin in 2024 and end in 2026.
Operations
We are working to implement a second Amtrak route along the Twin Cities – Milwaukee – Chicago corridor.
This service expansion involves partnership agreements among the Federal Railroad Administration, the state DOTs, host railroad, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority and Amtrak.
The partnership agreements are moving forward. When all the elements have been finalized between the parties, the schedules, fares, start date and official name of the train service will be jointly announced. We expect this service announcement in 2024. Thank you for your interest in this service expansion. We look forward to serving our passengers.
Visit the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's TCMC project page for more information on public engagement, funding, location, and the project schedule.