 Minnesota News Network. Amtrak says there were more than 18,500 riders during the first full month of new daily train service between St. Paul and Chicago, averaging about 300 passengers aboard each of the eastbound and westbound trains. The service has state support from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Amtrak's Mark Maglieri. The states in Amtrak knew that this was going to be a route that had lots of opportunity on it,