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Old Posted Jul 21, 2019, 3:29 AM
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Hiawatha to increase to 10 rt/day Milw-Chi.

Amtrak Hiawatha increasing Milwaukee-Chicago round trips over the next 5 years.
Alexa Buechler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published 11:39 a.m. CT July 17, 2019 | Updated 6:32 p.m. CT July 17, 2019 Link here
Amtrak Hiawatha plans to increase the number of Milwaukee-Chicago round trips from seven to 10 in the next five years, officials announced Wednesday at a news conference at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station....

Plans call for the addition of one round trip in the next three years, followed by two more in the two years after that, according to Arun Rao, manager of passenger rail for the state Department of Transportation....

Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Association of Commerce, talked about how Amtrak Hiawatha aids Milwaukee's businesses.

“This is a critically important part of Milwaukee’s economy,” Sheehy said. “We’re part of Chicago’s mega-region, which is one of the 10 largest economic regions in the country, and to put it simply: Commerce is about connections.”

He also said the connection helps companies, such as Baird, Johnson Controls, MillerCoors and many others....

There are three Wisconsin railroad infrastructure projects that need to be completed in order to accommodate the additional trains.

Amtrak will add a second platform at the Milwaukee Mitchell Airport Rail Station. It is estimated to be a $10 million project. A $5 million federal grant has been awarded for that project.

The Milwaukee Intermodal Station will need to install new traffic control equipment, work that is estimated to cost $5 million. A federal grant of $2.7 million has been awarded for that work.

Amtrak also wants new cars and coaches, which would cost $39 million. Amtrak officials have submitted a federal grant application for this as well.
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