The Wisconsin and Illinois Departments of Transportation have scheduled public hearings to get input on a proposal to increase the number of daily round trips on Amtrak’s Hiawatha line between Milwaukee and Chicago from seven to 10.
The hearings will be held today from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Washington Park Senior Center at 4420 W. Vliet St. in Milwaukee; Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Union Station at 500 W. Jackson Blvd. in Chicago, and Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Park Center, 2400 Chesnut Ave., in Glenview, Illinois.
To increase the number of daily round trips on the line, new infrastructure would need to be laid, including train signals and additional tracks. Details for the plans are included in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement released by the two state departments of transportation.
Both the Midwest High Speed Rail Association and the public transit system advocate group All Aboard Wisconsin have released statements supporting plans for increased Amtrak service between Milwaukee and Chicago.
“All Aboard Wisconsin believes it is critical to voice its support for more frequent rail service between the two cities of Milwaukee and Chicago,” said AAW President Nona Hill in a statement released Thursday. “We hope all our members attend (the public hearing) and also write in comments.”
