Serving Duluth, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, and intermediate points
Amtrak train numbers: 9 and 10
Predecessor railroad train numbers: None
Amtrak's North Star debuted in 1978, replacing the Arrowhead between Duluth and Minneapolis in the form of an overnight train between Duluth and Chicago. In 1979, it essentially became the replacement for the North Coast Hiawatha's Minneapolis-Chicago service, inheriting the Hiawatha's train numbers.
However, in 1981, with the restoration of the Empire Builder to a daily schedule, the North Star was cut back to a Duluth-Minneapolis train.
The state of Minnesota withdrew funding for the train in 1985, and the last run was on April 7th of that year.
Condensed historical timetables:
READ DOWN READ UP
(1980) (1984) (1984) (1980)
6:00P 6:00P Dp Duluth Ar 11:35A 11:35A
10:15P 9:30P Minneapolis 8:00A 7:50A
5:35A ----- Milwaukee ----- 12:12A
7:10A ----- Ar Chicago Dp ----- 10:30P
The Amtrak Train Names Project