I am glad we now have the Borealis to add some flexibility to trips between Chicago and the Twin Cities. I have taken the Empire Builder before and it was always nerve wracking to try to make the early morning departure, that is, if it was on time. Sadly, the Borealis is much like the Empire Builder in that you can't count on it being on time, despite having fewer stops. That makes connecting to another train a lot more difficult. So we ended up missing the BNSF train we had hoped to take and only just barely caught the next one an hour later. It was nice to have wifi on the Borealis though it was a bit weak for some purposes. Cafe car food on both trains is the same, adequate, but nothing special. The few times I have been able to use the dining car on the Empire Builder were better experiences, restaurant quality and good service. Another difference between the trains is the lower level seats on the Empire Builder- these are a bit more roomy and comfortable. I will likely take these trains again, but with realistic expectations. If you have a whole family heading to the Chicago suburbs, it is probably more economical and less hassle to drive. A single person or a couple heading to downtown Chicago for the weekend would be better off taking Amtrak, especially if you have someone who can pick you up at Union Station. read more

Imagine boarding the Amtrak train at nearby Naperville and essentially traveling anywhere the train goes, from coast to coast. Don't miss the California Zephyr awesome trip from Denver into the Rocky Mountains. Truly amazing read more

Waiting area has no seats, just an empty room with a bathroom. Alarm went off and locked us inside the waiting room which should be a life safety issue. Train ended being 45 minutes late, wasn't notified until it was already 20 minutes late, with no seating. Just odd to have a waiting room with no benches or anything. read more

We rode from Pasco WA to New Orleans LA. The ride itself was incredible. The staff aboard the train were all incredibly helpful and fun. The Chicago station however was another story. The staff were rude and acted put out that we had questions. The station is very confusing and crowded. There are no lockers to hold your luggage, so we were left carrying our belongings for 5 hours throughout Chicago. I had called ahead to let them know I was traveling with an elderly who had limited mobility and absolutely no help was given. We will go out of our way to avoid Chicago Amtrak in the future. read more

My Mother missed her afternoon train on Thursday 8/26/21 , we were able to inquire with ticket agent " Avery" ? @ the Naperville train station on what to do . She went above & beyond to explain & reschedule my moms ticket for the next day . She explained how to get around to park on the right side so we won't have to walk the long underground ramp tunnel . She was very friendly & professional. We commend her & wish her well & safety at her job . Sincerely, Gina & Patricia Ferraro . read more

Its a train station....what more can you say when you take the train into the City every day. It was nice that they remodeled the platforms this past summer, and you cant beat the the people who work in the ticket booth. It would be nice if they put an automated ticket machine in though. read more

All right, I must say that I am fairly sold on Amtrak. Granted, I do travel for a living by air and work in aviation, so something a bit different is always welcomed. And I do know that my experience is not what everyone will experience. However, after my first roundtrip on Amtrak since I was about five years old, I like it. My fiance and I took the Southwest Chief roundtrip between Kansas City and Naperville for Thanksgiving - out on Tuesday, back on Saturday. Outbound started a bit rough with some disorganized and rude boarding at Kansas City, but once in seat, everything was great. The coach seats are very roomy, with plenty of recline and pop-up leg rests. The windows offer some great, though sometimes dirty, views of the scenery. Even between Missouri and Illinois, the views can be enjoyable, so I can only imagine how great they are out west in the mountains or deserts. We were also perfectly on-time, and actually a bit early, on both routes. Amtrak is definitely getting better with their on-time statistics, so hopefully this becomes the norm. Naperville station is very basic but fine. For the westbound trains, there is no heated shelter on that side of the track, so stay in your car or in the station across the tracks (with an underground connection) until close to your trains arrival time. read more

Boarded @ Union Station, Chicago, not scary, but busy. Once we headed out of the urban scene into the wide open spaces of Midwest cornfields the rhythm of the train took hold. A few brews from the lower level Cafe, this time manned by Tom, a 41 year veteran of the rails & soon to retire; Good Luck Tom! Dinner is shared with strangers, but only for a few minutes, in the dining car. I had their steak (I know, who would think!) my fellow dining mates fish or steak. We all agreed our meals were a surprise in taste. I had the pleasure of meeting a true fan of train travel; Steve from Australia on a 20 day journey across North America. Did I mention this is his 2nd time in the states riding the rails? Buzz & Betty rounded out our dining foursome; they shared that after traveling to 101 countries over the course of nearly 60 years, air travel just isn't what it use to be; they are ready to take it slow and enjoy the ride!! I am humbled in their presence. I captured Breathtaking photos chugging across the plains of golden fields of wheat at sunset, churning thunderhead clouds giving birth to an evening storm, weathered outbuildings marking the presence of a failed homestead of years gone-by, and the amazing Raton Pass @ 7835 ft, the highest point on the Southwest Chief's route, where boulders are strewn about from the blasting of the tunnel which you are forewarned before plunging into total darkness lasting 50 seconds, really cool! My train journey ended at Albuquerque but first I enjoyed breakfast with two college kids returning home for a weekend. Before digging in their meal they removed their baseball caps and gave thanks for the food they were about to eat; and that is why I love this slow way of travel. Then Steve showed up, he taught us the passion of recording train's arrivals & departures! An OCD's Nirvana in timetables! I gave it a try; it is addicting! On a housekeeping note the bathrooms were very small but clean, I do believe my fellow travelers were also doing their part in keeping them so. The fares are fair. The rail beds were steady resulting in little pitching to-and-fro movement some people find intolerant. read more

Station is located in a good area. Ample parking and the station is staffed by Amtrak. You may make ticket purchases here. Staff was friendly and helpful. The California Zephyr arrived on time and Amtrak personnel aboard the train were very helpful in aiding me in boarding the train with luggage and finding me seat promptly. Two star rating because of the atrocious conditions of the bathroom, feces and soiled toilet paper was strewn about the men's bathroom and made a long wait difficult. read more

Amtrak simply ruined my day while wasting my time and money. I was waiting for my train and went to the restroom, when I came back they would not allow me to board even though it was 4 minutes before my departure. The workers had the gate open and rushed to close it off with their ribbon before I could enter. If they allowed people seconds before me, what's the difference? Nowhere on my ticket does it say boarding closes 5 minutes before the departure time. Weekend has been ruined to say the least. read more

I am posting this here because the Amtrak 'contact us' email form does not have an option for anyone unhappy enough to not buy a ticket and thus, not have a reservation number. This was intended as a private email to the company, but since they won't accept it, I am posting it here. Some of your staff needs sensitivity training. I drove 3 hours to talk to an Amtrak Ticket Agent in the Naperville Station at 4:00pm on 7/15/2018. I was planning to take my first Amtrak trip soon, and I had some questions. It started off on the wrong foot when she insisted that she couldn't answer questions unless I knew the dates of travel, which were irrelevent to my questions (I wanted to know if it was possible to upgrade to a roomette once on the train, and if the rail pass was worth it for a three segment, 10 day trip). My companion, my mother, started to ask the questions. I dislike speaking and had asked her to do this. The Ticket Agent proceeded to ignore my companion's questions, saying that since I was the one traveling, I had to ask them. I very patiently explained that I had Aspergers, which is on the Autism Spectrum, and did not wish to talk. Rather than proceeding with my request to answer questions through my mother, or to state that company policy required her to speak to the traveler, she started to tell me that Aspergers wasn't real, it was all in my head, and my mother should stop coddling me. She also became very condescending, telling me that I shouldn't travel if I didn't want to speak to her, and asking very slowly, several times, if I understood, as though I were stupid. I had intended to buy tickets from her, but because of her attitude, I walked out and drove home. In retrospect, I should have pretended to be mute. I doubt she would have discriminated against a physical disability the way she did against a mental disability. I could also have pretended to not speak English, and I assume she would have treated my companion as a translator and spoken to her. I still plan to go on my trip. I will purchase my tickets online, but if the service I receive on the train is anything like the service I got at the station, my Amtrak days are over. Which is a shame. I dislike driving and flying. I am well-off and was looking forward to traveling around the country on the rails. read more

Picked up family members at the station in Naperville. The train was right on time and the only issue is that there is no temporary parking for those meeting arrivals, mostly a local management issue read more

Rebecca at the ticket window in Naperville is fantastic. She went out of her way to make my Amtrak trip possible by combining payment types. She is a credit to Amtrak. Thank you. read more

The Amtrak ticket/reservation agent, Ruben Sanchez, was beyond one of the best customer service people I have encountered. He had both myself and my husband in stitches. Wow what a great experience. This is the station to go if you are traveling west. Avoiding Chicago is always a good thing. read more

My son was coming in from California and originally was going to Union Station . He was able to get off in Naperville , it was great ! Plenty of parking and the station itself was not at all scary . read more

I chose to get on an Amtrak in Naperville bc of its parking, for a morning train. There was no ticket agent available to give parking passes until 11 am, and Amtrak doesn't provide communication regarding this, nor does the Naperville station provide alternatives to obtain a legal parking pass prior to their arrival. As a result, I was unable to travel. The 'good' people at Amtrak also wouldn't issue me a refund unless I was willing to jump through some hoops. I rearranged my entire weekend to get on the train in Naperville, just to be prohibited from getting on the train by THEIR mistake. Guess who's renting a car next time? read more