New: Legislative and Policy Goals 2050

WisARP’s new Legislation and Policy Goals 2050 has replaced the previous Wisconsin Rail Plan 2020.

The document appears in the dropdown menu under the “About Us” heading on the website, and was created as an educational and informational piece to convey our organization’s work to our members and the public.

The guide is divided into three sections:

• Benefits of Rail Transportation
• Service Expansion – FRA Corridor ID Program
• Working with Decision Makers

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the information and converse with others about the expansion of passenger rail in Wisconsin.  

A team of WisARP members including Larry Rueff, Ian Weisser, Jay Timmerman, Chris Ott and myself began the task of developing the document in December, 2023.  The document was approved by the Board of Directors and WisARP members at the spring membership meeting in the Wisconsin Dells on April 6. 

Milwaukee Streetcar opens new L-Line

The Milwaukee Streetcar’s (The Hop) new L-Line began daily service on April 11.

The newly-opened Lakefront station is close to the Festival Grounds, Milwaukee Art Museum, and Discovery World.

Limited Sunday-only service began October 29, 2023 that passed through the under-construction Coture development (above the new Lakefront station) without stopping.

• The Hop is free to ride. No ticket needed.
• Hop route map including the L-Line.

Media coverage of the opening: Journal-Sentinel, Urban Milwaukee, Channel 6, Channel 12, OnMilwaukee, Spectrum News.

WisDOT Update: April 2024

Rich Kedzior of WisDOT presented a series of updates during WisARP’s Spring 2024 meeting at Wisconsin Dells.

Hiawatha Service is back up to 75% of pre-pandemic ridership, and is back up to 5 coaches on each trainset (pre-pandemic was six coaches). The Milwaukee Airport Rail Station second platform is under construction, and its completion is one prerequisite for an 8th daily Hiawatha trip.

Two projects in central Milwaukee are in progress. The downtown Milwaukee Intermodal Station tracks will receive signal improvements and Centralized Traffic control (CTC). Freight trains will bypass the passenger station on a new main through Muskego Yard. Due to the yard’s constraints in the Menominee Valley, adding the new main requires re-configuring part of the yard.

Rich described TCMC as “so close we can taste it,” and listed the five remaining agreements to be finalized (3 state operating agreements, Ramsey County agreement for use of St Paul station, and Amtrak-FRA grant agreement). When asked about the “Borealis” service name, WisDOT, he stated that WisDOT “cannot officially confirm or deny the name of the new TCMC service.” The service can start before completion of the $56 million in improvements and capacity expansion, mostly in Minnesota.

Two more new corridor services (Milwaukee-Madison-Eau Claire-Twin Cities and a Hiawatha extension to Green Bay) will be studies and developed through the FRA Corridor ID program, plus additional Hiawatha frequencies and an additional TCMC frequency . WisDOT will begin soliciting consultants for Step 1 of all four services in May 2024. Since the local match for Step 2 has not yet been budgeted by WisDOT, service development could be accelerated by communities, particularly by meeting the local funding match requirements without waiting for the Wisconsin Legislature’s biennial budget cycle.

Finally, in response to an audience question, WisARP has begun recruiting a volunteer cadre of educators to help inform county, city, and other local leaders on their stakeholding roles.

A Peek Into The Future Long Distance Fleet

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UPDATE 2024-03-28: Rail Passenger Association CEO Jim Mathews added more details during his March 20 RailNation address:

• Bids expected by August 2024. Decision sometime late 2024 or early 2025.
• Biggest North American passenger railcar order since 1948.
• At least 47 bi-level trainsets, with options for more.

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ORIGINAL 2024-03-14:

More hints about Amtrak’s concept for their future Long Distance fleet: The technical specifications document for the 2023 Request For Proposals were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

The document is essentially a snapshot of what Amtrak wants from manufacturers, not what it will finally get, nor what it is promising riders.The specifications discuss only bi-level, low-platform, long distance equipment to replace current Superliners used on services including the Empire Builder.

• Semi-permanently married trainsets with replaceable components to keep cars in service. Minimum mean distance between service interruptions of 150,000 miles.
• Network connectivity everywhere. On-board diagnostics. Remote monitoring. Surveillance cameras. In-bedroom control screens. Information displays. Cafe menu screens. Kitchen order screens. Kitchen temperature monitors. At-seat reservation/occupancy indicators. And, of course, at-seat outlets and en-route wi-fi.
• Coach seats that are smaller, but nevertheless comfortable for up to 72 hours.
• New Premium Coach: Wider seats in a 2×1 arrangement, leaving a wide, accessible aisle and possibly skylights.
• Roomettes are updated, but little changed.
• New SoloSuite: Roomette-sized, but just one extra-wide seat facing a work table. With a private skylight.
• New: The classic Sightseer Lounge is replaced. Coach class gets an upstairs Cafe. First class get their own First Class Lounge.
• Accessibility: Wheelchair and walker access between cars. 32-inch wide aisles. In-car elevators. Wider, easier stairways. On-board platform lifts and gap-fillers. Three different types of accessible bedrooms, all with private bathrooms. Accessible places in the cafe, lounge, and diner.
• New: Club Bedroom increases the capacity of the classic Bedroom. Sleeps four, includes a private bathroom.
• New: Premium Bedroom replaces the Family Bedroom. Sleeps only two, but in a full-car-width compartment with a queen-sized bed and private bathroom.

Reminder: This is Amtrak’s shopping list for manufacturers. It doesn’t mean Amtrak will get everything it wants in the final affordable design.

The new bi-level long distance procurement will be a lengthy process. In 2022, Amtrak wrote:

“Significant customer and marketplace research is necessary for this once-in-a-generation procurement.”

“Amtrak anticipates that the first new long-distance railcars will arrive towards the end of the current decade, with deliveries continuing into the early 2030s.”

FY 2022-2027 Service and Asset Line Plans, page 129

FOIA Note: The use of the FOIA process means that the technical specifications document is now public. While many pages are labelled “confidential,” that label is no longer accurate. Amtrak had the opportunity to redact confidential information before release.

What is the PRAC?

The Surface Transportation Board has announced the initial members of the Passenger Rail Advisory Committee (PRAC).

“The purpose of the PRAC is to provide advice and guidance to the Board on passenger rail issues on a continuing basis to help the Board better fulfill its statutory responsibilities in overseeing certain aspects of passenger rail service.”

What the PRAC is supposed to do:

“The scope of the Committee’s activities shall include providing information, advice, and recommendations to the Board on issues impacting the development and operation of railroad passenger services, including: improving efficiency on passenger rail routes; reducing disputes between passenger rail carriers and freight rail hosts regarding the use of freight rail carrier-owned facilities and infrastructure for passenger service, including passenger on-time performance issues; and improving regulatory processes related to intercity passenger rail to the benefit of the public, the communities served by passenger rail, and the environment.”

The committee is supposed to have two open meetings annually.

Ramsey County Inks TCMC Agreements

On March 19, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority approved two amendments to their November 2023 rental agreement with Amtrak for overnight storage and servicing of TCMC trainsets at St Paul Union Depot.

• Meeting agenda and video
• Terminal track and platforms use amendment
• Train storage and servicing amendment

The Great River Rail Commission added that other key agreements were awaiting the Ramsey County approval:

[TCMC] service expansion involves partnership agreements among the Federal Railroad Administration, the state departments of transportation, the host railroad, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority, and Amtrak. These agreements are in progress and finalization was dependent on completion of the agreements between the RCRRA and Amtrak.

Wisconsin Dells station, March 2024

Chicago Hub Improvement Program Update

The Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP) is a complex set of projects to transform the century-old Chicago Union Station into a much better regional terminal that matches current needs and modern passenger expectations and the modern operational needs of Amtrak and METRA.

CHIP includes projects inside Union Station, and nearby projects within several miles so trains can more easily access the station with fewer conflicting moves, and even some projects miles away to reduce known long-term conflicts with busy freight railroads.

There are many proposed projects. Only the projects in development are shown here.

Recent plans, presentations, videos, and other resources:

• Sept 2023: Amtrak presentation slides to MIPRC (PDF)
• June 2023: Amtrak presentation to Infraday Midwest (video)
• Sept 2022: Amtrak MEGA project proposal (PDF)
• 2012: Chicago Union Station Master Plan (PDF)

Project			Description	Status
Mail Platform Reactivation			Repurpose Union Station’s old mail platforms (unused since 2005) for passenger service. Initially creating extra capacity to support other CHIP construction projects, the new platform will also host at least two through tracks, offering exciting opportunities for Wisconsin services. This may be a phased improvement, with a single platform (2 through tracks) available early, and a second platform (4 through tracks) available later. 2023: High Speed Rail Association’s CrossRail Chicago concept using the new through capability. (Video)	Design and construction 80% funded by FSP grant (2023-12-08). Construction dates not yet known
Trainshed Ventilation			Trainshed ventilation improvements, structural integrity improvements, and air quality enhancements. This will allow operational flexibility: Trains can have the locomotive at either end.	NEPA & Preliminary Engineering1 80% funded by FSP grant (2023-12-08). Design & construction not funded.
Platform Capacity Expansion			Expand commuter platform capacity by rearranging platforms and tracks to eliminate the old, unused baggage platforms. Includes new street entrances directly to the wider commuter platforms, reducing commuter flow through the station concourse.	NEPA & Preliminary Engineering2 80% funded by FSP grant (2023-12-08). Design & construction not funded.
Concourse Improvements			Improvements to the station experience, improved boarding process, and modernized amenities.	Preliminary Engineering started May 20233. Included in FY2025 funding request (2024-03-14)

1. FRA FSP grant lists the work as “project development.” NEPA/PE source is the Sep 2023 MIPRC Slides ↩︎
2. FRA FSP grant lists the work as “project development.” NEPA/PE source is the Sep 2023 MIPRC Slides ↩︎
3. Funding unknown. PE source is the Sep 2023 MIPRC Slides ↩︎

Milwaukee Magazine roundup of southeast Wisconsin, March 2024

Milwaukee Magazine has published a well-written summary of the possible impact of December 2023 Corridor ID selections on southeast Wisconsin.

It includes a summary of the KRM resurrection, and the possibility of a welcome reception in Waukesha County

“…Pewaukee Mayor Steve Bierce advocates a stop in his community. ‘Generally, people in Waukesha County are opposed to public transit,’ Bierce concedes. ‘But times change and attitudes change,’ especially for younger residents, he adds.”

The article also cites WisARP’s own Larry Rueff:

“Northeastern Wisconsin’s NEW Rails advocacy group has called for an AmFam Field station on the Green Bay and Madison routes.”

Racine hires consultants for KRM resurrection studies

The Racine Common Council agreed on Feb 6, 2024, to hire two consulting firms to explore governance and financing options to restart proposed Kenosha – Racine – Milwaukee (KRM) commuter service.

Previous attempts to develop KRM service were abandoned in 2011 after the Wisconsin Legislature eliminated the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority, and with it the organization and funding to develop the service. The current resurrection is funded by a $5 Million grant to the City of Racine earmarked by WI Senator Baldwin in October 2021.

• HDR Engineering will provide conceptual planning, develop a recommended organization and governance structure compatible with Wisconsin law, and provide technical support (Statement of Need, Alternatives Analysis) to prepare the project for future Federal grant applications. Contract is up to $2 million, and ends in December 2024.
• AECOM will provide an estimate of the increased value along the corridor caused by transit-oriented development, and suggest a “viable path” to capturing that value. The revenue would offset both capital and operating costs. Contract is up to $0.32 million,

Milwaukee Magazine also reported on the new KRM contracts.

“Financed by a $5 million federal planning grant, the Racine Common Council voted Feb. 5 [2024] to hire consultants to conduct the new study and to examine whether transit-oriented development near stations could help pay for the rail line. Milwaukee and Kenosha have agreed to cooperate with the study, which will be overseen by representatives of the three cities, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and the state Department of Transportation.”