Tracking On-Time Performance of the Borealis

Ever wonder about the on-time performance of the Borealis? Paul Birnberg, a member and volunteer of All Aboard Minnesota (AAMN), is tracking it and is providing AAMN with quarterly reports. Thank you, Paul!

Amtrak uses 15 minutes as its metric for trains arriving at their final destination “on time.” AAMN will use the same metric. We will also report on trains that are late by one hour or more. Here is AAMN’s first report. You can see from the numbers the effect of extreme cold and snowy weather in January.

Borealis On-Time Performance: Q1 2026

Borealis Westbound – Chicago to Saint Paul	Borealis Westbound – Chicago to Saint Paul
65% of trips arrived on time (56 of 86 departing Chicago)	88% of trips arrived on time (73 of 83 trains departing Saint Paul)
15% of trips were more than one hour late (13 trains of 86 departing trains)	4% of trips were more than one hour late (3 trains of 83 departing trains)
26 minutes - Average delay arriving in Saint Paul	3 minutes - Average delay arriving in Chicago
7% - Non-arriving trains (5 cancelled, 1 disrupted of 90 scheduled)	8% - Non-arriving trains (6 cancelled, 1 disrupted of 90 scheduled)
Source: juckins.net/asmad/index.php

Based on the analysis above, the Borealis performs well compared to other Midwest trains. Ridership continues to be high, with many trains sold out and load factors estimated in the 85-90 percent range. With work this summer and fall to improve track and signals along the Borealis corridor, on-time performance may be less reliable. Long-term, these infrastructure improvements will improve freight and passenger travel times and reliability.