Local Chambers of Commerce in cities around Wisconsin say the recently-announced federal grants to study passenger rail expansion in the state are an important first step to determining the feasibility and potential economic benefits that trains could provide.
The grants from the US DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) provide for federally-funded planning to be undertaken to look at expanding service on current routes and adding train service to new cities around the state. Potential new cities include Appleton, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Eau Claire, Menomonie, Hudson, Pewaukee, Watertown, and Madison, with potential expanded service for Sturtevant/Racine, Milwaukee, Portage, Tomah, and La Crosse.
FRA’s Corridor Identification and Development Program was created as a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that provides significant federal support for expansion of increasingly-popular passenger rail service.
A number of local Chambers of Commerce, prominent state and local businesses, education leaders, and local tourism agencies have signed on to a statement enumerating the potential value to more trains in the state:
“We support the expansion of passenger rail service in high-potential Wisconsin corridors as a needed and worthwhile investment for the economic future of our state. Frequent service to more cities will help attract and retain business and the talent critical to its success; provide a convenient, economical, and environmentally-friendly alternative to driving; accelerate economic growth opportunities; improve quality of life; increase tourism; and add resiliency to our transportation system.”
The list of signees includes Chambers in Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Fox Cities, Green Bay, Menomonie, Milwaukee, and Oshkosh, as well as regional economic development organizations (including Momentum West), local tourism bureaus (including Visit Eau Claire), and a number of prominent businesses, such as the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Bucks. Businesses serving West Central Wisconsin on the list include Ayres Associates, Banbury Place/Cigan Properties, Cellcom, Festival Foods, Molson Coors, Nicolet National Bank, Prevail Bank, Royal Credit Union, Valley Sports Academy, as well as educational institutions including Chippewa Valley Technical College, Northwood Technical College, UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, and UW-Stout. Click here for the full list, as well as to add your business or organization's name.
January 30, 2024
Amtrak, DOT officials provide updates on passenger train expansion in Wisconsin
Work is about to begin on a study that will determine the future of passenger train service in West Central Wisconsin. That was the word from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Jennifer Murray at a meeting in Eau Claire Tuesday, January 30th.
“This summer, Wisconsin DOT will begin step one for the Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire, Twin Cities corridor,” Murray said. “With that, we will begin looking at a scope of work for the service development plan and we’re going to analyze that route from Chicago to the Twin Cities through Madison and Eau Claire.”
Meanwhile, passenger traffic on existing trains is slowly getting back to pre-pandemic levels, according to Amtrak’s Derrick James. The only passenger train in Wisconsin currently is Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which runs from Chicago to Seattle and Portland, passing through the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, Tomah and La Crosse. Wisconsin also operates The Hiawatha Service between Milwaukee and Chicago, in cooperation with Illinois.
James told the group he expects the number of Amtrak passengers this year to reach or exceed the peak seen in 2019. James also said Amtrak remains committed to working with private train operators, too. One of the proposals being examined is a short-line service between Eau Claire and St. Paul, using the existing Union Pacific tracks. That service could potentially be operated by a private company.