Wisconsin DOT renews push for Amtrak Hiawatha expansion

[Editor's note: This article has been updated to include project cost estimates from WisDOT.]

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) yesterday submitted a federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant application that proposes expanding the Amtrak Hiawatha service about 80 miles west from Milwaukee to Madison.

The proposed extension would operate on existing freight infrastructure, according to a press release from the office of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. The grant would fund track upgrades to increase capacity and support passenger-rail speeds, as well as bridge rehabilitations, crossing improvements and three temporary station platforms in Madison, Watertown and Pewaukee.

Under WisDOT's proposal, the Hiawatha, which operates seven daily round trips between Chicago and Milwaukee, would add two daily round-trip trains to Madison. State studies show the expansion would create about 200 permanent jobs and about $46 million in annual economic benefit.

The total cost estimate for the Hiawatha extension project is $272.8 million. Wisconsin is seeking a $218.2 million CRISI grant; if it is awarded, WisDOT would work to secure remaining funding through local and state sources, WisDOT officials said in an email. 

There have been multiple attempts to expand passenger rail across Wisconsin. In 2009, former Gov. Jim Doyle secured a deal with manufacturer Talgo to build two new trains to connect Madison and Milwaukee. The state was awarded $810 million in federal funding to execute the project. However, in 2010, former Gov. Scott Walker rejected the funding. Talgo had already built the trains and subsequently sued Wisconsin. The settlement required Wisconsin to pay $50 million to Talgo for the trains, which now operate in Nigeria, according to Evers' office.

"Ensuring Wisconsin has the 21st-century transportation and infrastructure we need to compete for workers and thrive in a 21st-century economy must be a top priority for our state. [...] This is an important effort that should have happened a long time ago, and I’m hopeful the Trump Administration will approve our request so we can get this done," Evers said.