You’d think it would be a no-brainer. Two massive Midwestern hubs, separated by roughly 150 miles of rolling hills and dairy farms, should be connected by a high-speed, sleek rail line that lets you skip the nightmare of I-90. But if you walk into Chicago’s Union Station right now and ask for a ticket for a Chicago to Madison train, the ticket agent is going to give you a very specific, slightly frustrating answer.
There isn't a direct train. Not yet.
It’s one of those weird quirks of American infrastructure. You can take a train from Chicago to Seattle, or even to a tiny town in the middle of North Dakota, but you can’t pull into a station in downtown Madison, Wisconsin. Honestly, it’s a sore spot for locals. For decades, the conversation has bounced between high-stakes political drama, cancelled federal grants, and renewed hope under the Biden-Harris administration's "Corridor Identification and Development Program." If you’re trying to make this trip today, you’re basically looking at a "train-ish" experience—a mix of Amtrak rails and dedicated bus connectors that get the job done, but won't satisfy a true rail enthusiast.
The current reality of the Chicago to Madison train route
Right now, the most common way people "train" from Chicago to Madison is via the Amtrak Hiawatha Service or the Empire Builder. But here is the catch: the train stops in Columbus, Wisconsin, or Milwaukee. From there, you hop on a Thruway Bus.
The Hiawatha is actually a fantastic little line. It runs between Chicago and Milwaukee seven times a day. It’s reliable. It has Wi-Fi that usually works. It’s fast. But once you hit the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, your journey on tracks ends. You’re moved onto a coach bus for the final hour and fifteen minutes into Madison. It’s efficient, sure, but it’s not the seamless European-style rail experience people dream about when they search for a Chicago to Madison train.
The other option is the Empire Builder, which stops in Columbus, about 28 miles northeast of Madison. Amtrak runs a shuttle from Columbus into the heart of the University of Wisconsin campus. It sounds clunky. It is a little clunky. Yet, for students at UW-Madison or business travelers who want to work while they travel, it’s still often better than white-knuckling it through construction near Elgin or Beloit on the interstate.
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Why doesn't the track go all the way?
It’s a long story involving $810 million. Back in 2010, the federal government awarded Wisconsin a massive grant to build a high-speed rail link between Milwaukee and Madison. It was the "missing link" that would have finally created a true Chicago to Madison train corridor.
The project was ready to go. Contracts were being signed. Then, politics happened. Former Governor Scott Walker campaigned on stopping the train, arguing it was a "boondoggle" that would cost taxpayers too much in long-term subsidies. He won, he sent the money back to Washington (where it was promptly snatched up by California and Florida), and the dream of a direct line died for over a decade. Since then, the tracks between Milwaukee and Madison have remained mostly the domain of slow-moving freight.
New hope for the Borealis and beyond
Things changed in May 2024. Amtrak launched the Borealis train. This is a big deal. It’s an extra daily frequency between Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota, following the same path as the legendary Empire Builder but at more convenient daytime hours.
While the Borealis still stops in Columbus rather than Madison proper, it has significantly increased the capacity for those looking for a Chicago to Madison train experience. It has basically doubled the opportunities to get near the city without driving.
But the real "white whale" is the proposed expansion that would bring Amtrak directly into downtown Madison. In late 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded $500,000 grants to study several new corridors, including the Milwaukee-to-Madison route. This isn't just talk this time. There is actual money behind the planning. The city of Madison has even been scouted for station locations. The most likely spots? Somewhere near the Monona Terrace or the historic First Street corridor.
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Comparing your transit options
If you have to get there tomorrow, you have to choose your poison.
- Amtrak + Thruway Bus: You board at Union Station, ride to Milwaukee, and switch to a bus. It takes about 3 to 4 hours total. It's the "train" option in name, but you're still on a highway for a chunk of it.
- Van Galder (Coach USA): This is the unofficial king of the route. These buses run almost hourly from Union Station and O'Hare directly to the UW-Madison Memorial Union. It’s often faster than the train-bus combo because there's no transfer.
- Driving: If traffic is perfect (which it never is), you can do it in 2.5 hours. If there's a wreck on I-90? It’s four hours of misery.
Most people who are dead-set on the Chicago to Madison train choose Amtrak because of the comfort. You can walk around. You can go to the cafe car. You can use a real bathroom. The seats on the Hiawatha and the Borealis are huge compared to a Greyhound or a Van Galder bus. For a lot of us, that's worth the transfer.
What about the "Eau Claire" route?
There is another conversation happening in the background of Wisconsin transit. There’s a push for a route that goes from Chicago to Milwaukee, then to Madison, then up through Eau Claire to the Twin Cities. This would turn Madison into a major rail junction rather than just a dead-end spur.
Experts like those at the Midwest High Speed Rail Association argue that this isn't just about convenience; it's about the "Midwest Hub" concept. Chicago is the heart. Madison is a critical artery. Without a direct Chicago to Madison train, the entire regional economy loses a bit of its pulse. We’re talking about thousands of commuters and students who could be off the roads.
The "Columbus Gap" explained
If you decide to take the Empire Builder or the new Borealis, you'll get off in Columbus, Wisconsin. It’s a charming, tiny station. It looks like something out of a movie from the 1940s.
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The transition from the train to the shuttle bus is usually seamless. Amtrak times these perfectly. You step off the platform, walk ten feet, and throw your bags under a coach. But it still feels... incomplete. You’re so close to Madison you can almost see the Capitol dome, yet you’re stuck in a parking lot in a town of 5,000 people. This is the "Columbus Gap." It’s the primary reason why ridership numbers for the Chicago to Madison train route aren't as high as they could be. People hate transferring.
Looking ahead: When will we see real tracks?
If you're waiting for a train that lets you walk out of Union Station and step off at the Kohl Center, you're probably looking at the late 2020s or early 2030s.
The environmental impact studies and engineering phases take years. Then there's the issue of the tracks themselves. Most of the rail between Milwaukee and Madison is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). Amtrak has to negotiate with them to use the lines, and often, those tracks need to be upgraded to handle higher speeds and passenger safety standards.
However, the political will in Wisconsin has shifted. Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson are huge proponents. They see the Chicago to Madison train as a primary driver for talent attraction. Young professionals don't want to own cars. They want to open their laptops on a train in Chicago and close them when they arrive in Madison.
Actionable steps for your trip
If you are planning to travel between these cities right now, don't just wing it.
- Check the Borealis schedule first. It’s the newest and cleanest option. It often has better pricing than the long-distance Empire Builder.
- Book the "Madison-Univ. Wisconsin" (MSN) code. When searching on Amtrak’s site, don't just search for Madison. Use the code MSN. This automatically bundles the train and the Thruway bus into one ticket. It’s cheaper and guarantees your connection.
- Consider O’Hare as a starting point. If you’re coming from the suburbs, taking the Van Galder bus from O’Hare is often way easier than heading all the way into downtown Chicago to catch a train.
- Download the Amtrak app. Since the Chicago to Madison train involves a bus transfer, the app is vital for real-time tracking. If the train is delayed coming from Chicago, the bus usually waits, but you’ll want those push notifications to be sure.
The dream of a one-seat ride is closer than it has been in fifteen years. For now, we take the transfer, we enjoy the views of the Wisconsin countryside from the Borealis windows, and we wait for the day the tracks finally reach the Isthmus.
Next Steps for Your Journey:
To get the most out of your trip, check the current Borealis timetable on Amtrak’s official site. If you're traveling during a UW-Madison home game weekend, book at least three weeks in advance, as the Thruway bus connections from the train fill up much faster than the train cars themselves. For those needing a direct shot without the Amtrak transfer, the Van Galder bus remains the most frequent alternative, departing from the South Canal Street side of Union Station.