Yearly Archives: 2023

FIVE CORRIDOR ID GRANTS FOR WISCONSIN!

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UPDATE December 11, 2023: Press release from Governor Evers

December 7, 2023 – by Susan Foote-Martin, Vice President Public Relations

The Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers (WisARP) received some long-anticipated news when Senator Tammy Baldwin announced Wednesday that five passenger rail routes in Wisconsin have each been awarded $500,000 grants totaling $2.5 million statewide to provide funding for the planning and development of the new passenger rail routes in Wisconsin. Please read the entire Press Release in a PDF file download below.

December 15, 2023 – WisARP prepared a two-page news supplement which will be available in most Empire Builder stations through December 2023 regarding the Corridor ID awards for Wisconsin. A PDF version of this story is available for download below. 

wisconsin-wins-grants-to-study-five-new-or-expanded-rail-routesDownload
wisarp-dec7-corridor-id-press-releaseDownload

WISARP FALL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING OCTOBER 28, 2023

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November 22, 2023 update – A collection of Question and Answers has been added to this blog. These are questions from the in-person audience submitted on index cards, and questions submitted in the Chat Box of the Zoom version. This document will be updated as speakers submit answers to the questions.

Many of the speakers are waiting for the announcement from the Federal Railroad Administration over the awards from the applications for the Corridor ID program.

October 27, 2023 – The Agenda for the meeting has been added below.

October 26, 2023 – A strong list of speakers will power our meeting this Saturday. Add Andrew Davis from the City of Milwaukee talking about The HOP to the list on the PDF file, and all speakers are now confirmed. Our in-person audience at the West Allis Library is growing. If you wish to attend in person please send an email per the instructions on the PDF file today. No limit on the hybrid Zoom option. Both are FREE!

Saturday, October 28, 2023, beginning at 10:15am. WisARP is inviting everyone to attend in person at the West Allis Public Library at 7421 W. National Ave in West Allis, WI. This meeting will also be a Hybrid Zoom Meeting. Registration information for those that plan on attending in person or participating via Zoom is included on the attached PDF file.

Highlighted speakers will include Jim Mathews, Executive Director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers. This is an exciting addition to our already stacked lineup.

Fall Meeting Q&A websiteDownload

Trevor Jung, Transit & Mobility Director for the City of Racine will talk about Urban Transit issues in Racine and beyond. An update on the HOP in Milwaukee will also be discussed.

2022 EMPIRE BUILDER ON-TIME PERFORMANCE

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October 12, 2023 – The TCMC Newsletter number four contained on-time performance information for the westbound #7 Empire Builder for the calendar year 2022. This information could give us an impression of how well the TCMC (Second Daily Train) will perform on the Canadian Pacific Kansas City mainline through Wisconsin.

The document available for download below contains the #7 westbound train and also includes the bad news about the #8 eastbound Empire Builder train for 2022.

TCMC News V5N4 2022 OTPDownload

BADGER RAILS with Added file download

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The Third Quarter Badger Rails for 2023 is available. Check the downloads below.

The first story in this issue is a request for WisARP members to contact their elected representatives in Washington DC regarding passenger rail funding in the current budget process that maybe you’ve heard about. The House of Representatives budget that passed in late July would slash funding for passenger rail considerably. Please read the first story in this issue of Badger Rails and then reach out to your elected officials in DC and leave a phone message. You can look at the second download file below which has contact information for all House Representatives by district and information for our two Senators. Filling out an e-mail in the webform each representative has on their websites would also work. WisARP thanks you in advance for reaching out to your elected officials and letting them know of your desire to forward passenger rail in Wisconsin and across the nation.

br-2023-3-july-aug-septDownload
DC Congressional info ver2Download

AUTO TRAIN DIARY COMPLETE

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July 17, 2023 – It’s been six months since my ride on the Amtrak Auto Train. My thoughts and observations had simmered through spring until the call for the story to be in the most recent Badger Rails edition. It was necessary to chop some of the story out to make it fit. Here is the complete version, with more information added even after the Badger Rails copy went public.

Amtrak Auto Train July16Download