The start-up of a second passenger train every day from Chicago, through Milwaukee, to the Twin Cities has been delayed until next spring.
For a while, the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois had been hoping to start what's called the TCMC during this year. But now, there's delay of additional months.
Lisa Stern is Chief of Railroads and Harbors at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and she says the partnership is just being prudent.
"We're coordinating with three states — Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois. Additionally, making sure we have sufficient equipment. We just want to make sure that when we start the service, it is successful. We want to make sure we've dotted all our i's and crossed all our t's. And really, that's what we're looking to do," Stern says.
Stern says there doesn't need to be any track construction before the TCMC gets underway. But she says eventually there will be some.
"We can start current service with the existing infrastructure. But we will need that infrastructure to maintain and sustain the freight rail growth, and passenger trains, as well," she says.
Stern explained the delay during a recent meeting of the Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers (WisARP) in West Allis. The group says the TCMC delay is disappointing. But the group says it understands underlying legal processes and reviews, and will need to patiently await the completion of those.
Daily service from Chicago, through Milwaukee and the Twin Cities and on to the West Coast continues on the Empire Builder train. But frequent slowdowns, especially in the West have prompted the call for the second train just to the Twin Cities.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin could soon find out if it's getting planning money for more routes in the state.
But some House Republicans are trying to reduce Amtrak funding. Yesterday. President Joe Biden announced $16 billion in infrastructure improvements for Amtrak's highly-used service between Boston and Washington D.C.
