The Empire Builder is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northern Railway and was retained by Amtrak when it took over intercity rail service in 1971.
The Hiawatha Service, or simply Hiawatha, is an 86-mile (138 km) train route operated by Amtrak on the western shore of Lake Michigan between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, the name was historically applied to several different routes that extended across the Midwest and to the Pacific Ocean. As of 2007, twelve to fourteen trains ran daily between Chicago and Milwaukee, making intermediate stops in Glenview, Illinois; Sturtevant, Wisconsin; and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. The line is partially supported by funds from the state governments of Wisconsin and Illinois. The line utilizes the CPKC Railway's C&M Subdivision and Metra's Milwaukee District North Line.
King Street Station is a train station in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is served by Amtrak's Cascades, Coast Starlight, and Empire Builder, as well as Sounder commuter trains run by Sound Transit. The station also anchors a major transit hub, which includes Link light rail at International District/Chinatown station and Seattle Streetcar service. It is located at the south end of Downtown Seattle in the Pioneer Square neighborhood, near the intersection of South Jackson Street and 4th Avenue South, and has four major entrances. It is the 15th-busiest station on the Amtrak system, serving as the hub for the Pacific Northwest region.
The Chicago Hub Network is a collection of proposed fast conventional and high-speed rail lines in the Midwestern United States including 3,000 miles (5,000 km) of track. Since the 1990s, there have been multiple proposals to build a network from Chicago to destinations such as Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Kansas City, St. Louis, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Louisville. In addition, the rail lines from the Chicago hub would connect through to cities in Canada. Eastern routes from Chicago would also blend into the Ohio Hub network. In addition to providing better connections between Midwestern cities, the projects are intended to reduce or eliminate the operating subsidies that American passenger train routes currently require.
Midway is a former Amtrak intercity train station in the Midway neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It was last served by Amtrak's daily Empire Builder and, for a time, by the North Star, as well as briefly by the North Coast Hiawatha.
Glenview station is a Metra commuter rail and Amtrak intercity rail station in Glenview, Illinois, United States, north of Chicago. The station is located at 1116 Depot Street, 17.5 miles (28.2 km) from Chicago Union Station, the southern terminus of the lines. The facility opened in March 1995 as a replacement for a since-demolished 1950s era station. The new station, designed by Legat Architects of Waukegan, cost approximately $3 million and was funded from a number of sources, including Metra, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Amtrak and the village of Glenview.
Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station is an Amtrak railway station located near the western edge of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is served by the seven daily round trips of the Hiawatha Service, with a free shuttle between the station and the airport terminal. The station opened on January 18, 2005.
Whitefish station is a stop on Amtrak's Empire Builder in Whitefish, Montana. In addition to the Empire Builder, a once-daily Greyhound Lines bus service also links the station to Kalispell and Missoula. A car rental agency operates a window within the station. The station and parking lot are owned by the Stumptown Historical Society. BNSF Railway leases office space on the upper floors of the station and owns the platform and track.
The Spokane Intermodal Center is an intermodal transport facility located in Spokane, Washington, United States. It serves as a service stop for the Amtrak Empire Builder, as well as the Greyhound, Trailways, and Jefferson Lines station for Spokane. The Empire Builder provides service daily between Chicago, Illinois and Spokane before continuing on to Seattle, Washington or Portland, Oregon.
Ephrata is a train station on Amtrak's Empire Builder line in Ephrata, Washington. The station and parking are owned by the city government, while the track and platforms are owned by BNSF Railway. Northwestern Trailways provides inter-city bus transportation next to the station while local transit is provided by the Grant Transit Authority.
Pasco Intermodal Train Station is a station on the Amtrak's Empire Builder line in Pasco, Washington, United States. The station is a stop on the Portland section of the Builder, and serves the Tri-Cities of Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick. The station and parking are owned by the City of Pasco. The track and platforms are owned by BNSF Railway. It is also the Greyhound Lines inter-city bus station for the Tri-Cities. Pasco is also a change point for Amtrak engineers on the Empire Builder.
Sturtevant station is an Amtrak railroad station in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, United States, which opened for service on August 14, 2006. It is located on East Exploration Court in the Renaissance Business Park off Wisconsin Highway 20. The facility accommodates travelers who use the Hiawatha Service between Chicago and Milwaukee, and sees fourteen daily arrivals, seven each from Milwaukee and Chicago. The Empire Builder also passes through this station but does not stop. Located along tracks owned by the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroad, the station was constructed as a replacement for the former Milwaukee Road depot, which was moved from its former location to Caledonia in October 2009.
Milwaukee Intermodal Station is an intercity bus and train station in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Amtrak service at Milwaukee includes the daily Empire Builder and the seven daily Hiawatha Service round trips. It is Amtrak's 18th-busiest station nationwide, and the second-busiest in the Midwest, behind only Chicago Union Station. The station is served by bus companies Coach USA - Wisconsin Coach Lines, Greyhound Lines, Jefferson Lines, Indian Trails, Lamers, Badger Bus, Tornado Bus Company, and Megabus. It is also the western terminus of the M-Line service of The Hop streetcar.
Portage station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Portage, Wisconsin, served by Amtrak's daily Empire Builder service. The depot is a small square brick structure constructed during the Amtrak era that is located near a Canadian Pacific Kansas City yard office. The office occupies what was formerly the Portage passenger depot, served by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad prior to the creation of Amtrak. There are no station staff in Portage. In October 2011, Lamers Bus Lines began offering a daily stop at the station, with service between Madison and Wausau, this service was transferred to Van Galder Coach USA in 2022. Portage along with neighboring Columbus provide Amtrak rail service to the Madison area. Portage is also slated to benefit from expanded service via the TCMC route which will service Portage station with an additional Chicago-St Paul round trip beginning in 2024 and planned additional rail service to Madison and Eau Claire by 2035.
Wisconsin Dells station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, served by Amtrak's daily Empire Builder. Despite the antiquated appearance, the station was built in 1989. The station is a replica of a former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad depot, and is in close proximity to a tourist railroad called the Riverside and Great Northern Railway. The previous station on this site was damaged by a Soo Line Railroad freight train derailing in 1982 A nonprofit group was created in the town in order to raise funds for the current station building.
Tomah station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Tomah, Wisconsin, served by Amtrak's daily Empire Builder. The station house is a wooden structure that was originally built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. It is not a staffed station, but a caretaker opens and closes the waiting room, which occupies a corner of the original station structure.
La Crosse station is an Amtrak intercity train station in La Crosse, Wisconsin, served the daily Empire Builder. The station was built in 1926–27 by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad, replacing an older station that burned in 1916. The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Depot and was renovated in 2001.
Red Wing station is a train station in Red Wing, Minnesota, United States, served by Amtrak's Empire Builder, which runs daily between Chicago and Seattle or Portland, Oregon. The next westbound stop is in Saint Paul, Minnesota and the next eastbound stop is in Winona, Minnesota.
Williston station is a train station in Williston, North Dakota, served by Amtrak's Empire Builder line. The brick station was built in 1910 by the Great Northern Railway and is located at the southern end of Williston's downtown. An interior and exterior restoration, begun in 2010 and costing almost $2 million, has returned the station to its original look.
The Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago (TCMC) service, unofficially referred to as Great River or Borealis, is a planned Amtrak intercity passenger train that will operate daily between Chicago, Illinois, and Saint Paul, Minnesota, via Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Service is expected to begin in 2024 under the Amtrak Midwest brand.
Van Galder (CoachUSA) marketed via MegaBus
