Baldwin Announces Big Step Towards Expanding Rail in Wisconsin

WISCONSIN – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin announced that five new routes in Wisconsin have been selected as priorities for passenger rail expansion and will be receiving $500,000 each in planning and development grants for a total of $2.5 million statewide. The funding for these projects comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) program, funded by the Baldwin-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“Passenger rail helps people get to work and school safely, boosts tourism and recreation, and grows our local economies, and I am proud to deliver funding to help expand it in Wisconsin,” said Senator Baldwin. “I voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to move our economy forward and get Wisconsinites where they need to go efficiently and safely, and I am excited to see these plans for passenger rail move forward.”

The Corridor ID Program is a comprehensive intercity passenger rail planning and development program that will help guide intercity passenger rail development throughout the country and create a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation. Each selected Corridor will be granted $500,000 for eligible activities related to the initiation of a grantee’s Corridor development efforts including the development of a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing a service development plan.

Through the Corridor ID Program, the following projects will receive funding:

Milwaukee to Green Bay: The proposed Corridor would connect the existing Hiawatha service between Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI with an extension to Green Bay, WI. Senator Baldwin submitted a letter of support for the project, which can be found here.

Milwaukee to Chicago: The proposed Corridor would provide improvements to the existing Hiawatha service between Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL by adding new frequencies. Senator Baldwin submitted a letter of support for the project, which can be found here.

Milwaukee to Madison to Eau Claire: The proposed Corridor would connect Milwaukee, WI to Minneapolis, MN through Madison, WI and Eau Claire, WI. The proposed Corridor would provide new service on an existing alignment. Senator Baldwin submitted a letter of support for the project, which can be found here.

Eau Claire to Twin Cities: The proposed Corridor would connect St. Paul, MN to Eau Claire, WI. The proposed Corridor would provide a new service on an existing alignment.

Chicago via La Crosse to St. Paul: The proposed Corridor would initiate a new daily round-trip between Chicago, IL and St. Paul, MN to complement the existing Amtrak long-distance Empire Builder, with an extension to Minneapolis, MN. Senator Baldwin submitted a letter of support for the project, which can be found here.

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