Amtrak, Wisconsin DOT launch bus service tied to Hiawatha line

Amtrak and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) on July 1 began offering a new Green Bay-Milwaukee bus service that provides connections to and from the Amtrak Hiawatha rail route between Milwaukee and Chicago.

An Amtrak Thruway bus now provides two daily round-trip services between Green Bay and Milwaukee, with stops in Fond du Lac, Oshkosh and Appleton, Wisconsin. The service enables travelers to complete a same-day round trip between those cities and Chicago, as well access Amtrak stations in Milwaukee (Mitchell International Airport), Sturtevant, Wisconsin, and Glenview, Illinois.

Adult bus-train fares from Green Bay to Chicago start at $39 each way, while bus-only fares from Green Bay to Milwaukee start at $28 each way.

"This service provides residents in the Interstate-41 corridor with convenience, comfort and connection," says WisDOT Secretary-designee Craig Thompson in a press release. "It expands options for passengers traveling for business or leisure."

Amtrak produced a short video (see below) on using Amtrak Thruway bus services. The new service is operated by Wisconsin Coach Lines/Coach USA Milwaukee.

"More than a million Amtrak customers every year begin or end their travels on an Amtrak Thruway bus. With our state partners, these services are an important part of our network that together give us more than 1,000 destinations nationwide served either by Amtrak train or by Amtrak Thruway services," said Paul Vilter, assistant vice president for Amtrak services.