Wis. DOT Seeks Public Comment on Passenger Rail Expansion, Including Chippewa Valley Shuttle

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is looking for public input on a pending project that would add a second train on the existing Chicago-Milwaukee-Twin Cities line. As planned, the initiative would also include a dedicated shuttle from the Chippewa Valley to the Amtrak station at Tomah to provide rail connections to Milwaukee and Chicago.

shuttle-map-orig_orig.jpeg

Known as the TCMC project (Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago), the plan will extend one of the existing Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha trains to Tomah, La Crosse, Winona and St. Paul as an additional frequency on the current Empire Builder route. Federal grants have been awarded, and plans are included for connecting shuttles to additional communities including the Chippewa Valley, Madison and Rochester.

How to submit your comments

As final planning by WisDOT, Minnesota DOT, and Amtrak nears completion, public comments are being invited about the benefits and details of the service. To submit yours, simply take a moment to click on the links below. There is an easy-to-use, survey-style Public Comment Form to make your submission:
Project website with full information
Recorded project update video (20 mins)
Public Comment Form

Local support for the project and shuttle connection

As WisDOT began consideration of the Chippewa Valley shuttle, local support for the connection was expressed in resolutions and letters from the Eau Claire City Council, Eau Claire County Board, Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, and West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition. These were among more than 60 letters of support and local governmental resolutions from across Wisconsin and Minnesota that helped WisDOT obtain key federal grants to help implement the service.

Eastward connections to Milwaukee and Chicago

Many Chippewa Valley area residents already drive to Tomah to catch the current Amtrak service, but a dedicated shuttle will significantly improve mobility for those who cannot or do not want to drive. Shuttle connections like these have been successful in other states like​ California and North Carolina. WisDOT also recently established dedicated shuttles to link the current Hiawatha service at Milwaukee to Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Appleton, and Green Bay.

The proposed Chippewa Valley shuttle would travel along​ I-94 and make a direct connection to trains at the Amtrak station in Tomah. ​At a recent meeting of the West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition, WisDOT Passenger Rail Program Manager Arun Rao provide a conceptual sample schedule the shuttle connection if established to connect with both the existing Empire Builder and the new Twin Cities Hiawatha Extension (TCMC) to Eau Claire and Menomonie:

tcmc-shuttle-schedule.jpeg

Complementary to future plans for direct rail service to the Chippewa Valley
​The West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition is working to establish a multi-frequency Twin Cities-Eau Claire corridor as a public-private partnership on the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad and has endorsed the proposal as a complementary step to provide residents of the region access to the national passenger train network.

In a resolution it drafted last year, the Coalition stated: "This would open up more travel opportunities for area residents and visitors to connect to/from Milwaukee and Chicago via Tomah, and would especially provide improved mobility for students, seniors and others who cannot or do not want to drive 80 miles to access the service."

Similarly, in a letter to WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson, the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce noted: "Transportation is a critical component for economic prosperity. The Chamber has long advocated for establishing passenger rail service to our region as an important component for economic competitiveness and talent attraction," and that the shuttle "would enhance the connectivity of our community and be complementary to efforts to obtain future direct train service for Eau Claire." ​The Eau Claire City Council passed a supporting resolution last February, and the Eau Claire County Board last May.

Why not run the second train through Eau Claire and/or Madison?
As these plans have come forward, residents of places like Eau Claire and Madison have asked why WisDOT doesn't take this opportunity to route the second train via Eau Claire and/or Madison to provide direct train service to more communities.

"This is a practical way to double train service across Wisconsin at a reasonable cost," notes West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition Chair Scott Rogers. "The service is less expensive to implement because it uses existing tracks and stations, while new routings would require larger investments. The proposed shuttles to other communities provides additional mobility and is a step towards building demand for future direct train service."

More information:
West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition (website)
WisDOT seeking public input on $53 million expansion of passenger rail to Twin Cities (BizTimes)
Second Empire Builder’ project wins a $12.6 million Restoration & Enhancement grant​ (MIPRC)
Wisconsin-Minnesota passenger rail project getting $31.8 million federal grant (La Crosse Tribune)
Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago Intercity Passenger Rail Service (WisDOT)
​​Eau Claire-Tomah Shuttle Fact Sheet (West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition)
Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce Letter in support of CRISI grant (Eau Claire Chamber)
Eau Claire City Council Resolution (City of Eau Claire)
Eau Claire County Board Resolution (Eau Claire County)
West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition Letter and Resolution (West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition)