Corrosion on Amtrak passenger cars forces Borealis service to temporarily switch to buses

Amtrak’s Borealis line between the Twin Cities and Chicago will be replaced by charter buses after an inspection found an issue with some railcars used on the route, the train service said.

During routine inspections, corrosion was found on Horizon passenger cars used on four lines across the country, including Borealis. “Intensive inspections of multiple cars” revealed “additional areas of concern,” Amtrak said, causing the rail company to remove the affected railcars from service.

While some trains will operate with fewer cars, others — like Borealis — will be replaced entirely by charter buses until a permanent solution is in place.

In a later update, Amtrak said that Train 1333 will operate without the need for bus substitution on Thursday and Train 1340 will be restored without bus substitutions on Friday.

Borealis launched last year, joining Empire Builder as the second route between St. Paul’s Union Depot and Chicago. It saw immediate success, surpassing 100,000 passengers in its first five months despite initial projections of moving 125,000 people per year.