Amtrak trains began running through La Crosse again Saturday, using a temporary alternate route after its regular lines were damaged in the massive flooding last weekend.

Passenger rail service between the Twin Cities and Chicago had been suspended for almost a week after flood waters in southeastern Minnesota washed out a bridge near Minnesota City.
Amtrak chartered buses to take passengers back and forth between the Twin Cities and Chicago all week, spokesman Marc Magliari said.

Amtrak trains will follow a detour over a Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line that goes through La Crosse, officials said.

The morning and evening runs of the Empire Builder through La Crosse did resume Saturday, though the switch to the alternative route was causing some delays, said La Crosse station agent Bob Kamrowski.

The train has to be turned to access the BNSF rails, Kamrowski said, which takes 30 to 45 minutes. But plans were to have engines at each end of the Amtrak train to avoid having to make the turn, which should speed the process, he said.

Two regular Minnesota stops will have to be skipped on the detour — Winona and Red Wing. Amtrak will continue to bus passengers in those two cities to La Crosse, Magliari said.

“We appreciate what the BNSF has done to allow us a detour route while our normal route is under repair,” Magliari said.

Amtrak still is working with the owners of the regular route — Canadian Pacific Railway — to repair the damaged portions of the infrastructure near Winona, Magliari said. That line is expected to reopen early this week.

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