Second Quarter 2026 On-Time Performance of the Borealis
July 18, 2026
Paul Birnberg, an All Aboard Minnesota (AAMN) member and volunteer, is tracking the on-time performance of the Borealis. Thank you, Paul, for these quarterly reports!
Amtrak uses 15 minutes as its metric for trains arriving at a final destination “on time.” AAMN uses the same metric. We will also report on trains that are late by one hour or more.
On-time performance in the second quarter of 2026, was much improved from the first quarter. There were improvements in all but one metric!
Borealis On-Time Performance - Second Quarter 2026
Borealis Westbound – Saint Paul to Chicago
| 75% of trips | Arrived on time (within 15 minutes of scheduled time) |
| 9% of trips | More than one hour late (8 trains of 91 departing trains) |
| 14 minutes | Average delay arriving in Chicago |
| 0, 1 | Cancelled trips, disrupted trips |
Borealis Eastbound – Chicago to Saint Paul
| 89% of trips | Arrived on time (within 15 minutes of scheduled time) |
| 5.5% of trips | More than one hour late (5 trains of 91 departing trains) |
| 3 minutes | Average delay arriving in Chicago |
| 0, unknown | Cancelled trips, disrupted trips |
“Disruptions” include things like “Freight Train Interference” (“FTI”) -- when the Borealis has to wait for freight trains -- and slow orders (“DSR”) -- when trains are slowed for maintenance, weakened tracks, etc. A full list of Delay Codes is available in Appendix D in the DOT FRA Final Report FY2025 Q4.
Compare to the first quarter 2026 On Time Performance Report.