The Arrow provided overnight service between the two cities and included through cars for other destinations in Iowa.

Through connections with other trains the Arrow also carried Chicago–Des Moines, Iowa and Milwaukee, Wisconsin–Omaha sleeping cars (via the Southwest Limited).

[1]: 61–65 The Omaha sleeping car ended in early 1955, but was reinstated later that year when the Milwaukee Road took over the Union Pacific Railroad's Overland Route trains from the latter's would-be merger mate the Chicago & North Western Railway, and ended for good in 1958.

The Sioux Falls section, including the train's last sleeping cars, ended on September 17, 1965.

All that remained of the Arrow was a Chicago–Omaha coach train, which the Milwaukee Road discontinued on October 5, 1967.