MILWAUKEE — A proposal is calling for an Amtrak station at American Family Field stadium, connecting Milwaukee to Madison and Green Bay.
The idea is being pushed by the nonprofit NEWRails (Northeastern Wisconsin Rail Advocacy Group). It's possible from a technical point of view, according to the municipal and legislative liaison for NEWRails, Larry Rueff, according to TMJ4 News partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal.
“We know from the technical standpoint, just the engineering and whether or not it could be possible, it’s possible, but there are a lot of questions that have to be resolved before it could actually happen," said Milwaukee Business Journal reporter Sean Ryan.
The next step here is to wait and see if the Wisconsin Department of Transportation secures a grant to study Amtrak service from Milwaukee to Green Bay and Madison. (Currently, Amtrak service goes through Chicago, Milwaukee and onto the Twin Cities, bypassing Madison and Green Bay).
The track they would use to build an Am Fam Field station is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City; meanwhile, an exact location would need to be selected along that track.
The idea, as the Business Journal points out, is for Amtrak service heading west from the Intermodal Station in downtown Milwaukee to stop at a station outside Am Fam Field before turning north towards Green Bay or turning west towards Madison.
“Both of those new lines would go right past track that goes right past American Family Field so an advocacy group that’s supporting there new line up toward Green Bay said, well hey, you should look at putting the station right next to the baseball stadium,” Ryan said.
An Amtrak station there could benefit new commercial development proposed on land currently used for parking at Am Fam Field.
According to the GOP-backed plan to fund American Family Field into the future, a private-public district is supposed to use two years to come up with such a commercial district.
The stadium funding bill will be voted on by the Wisconsin Senate next week. The state Assembly OK'd the bill on Oct. 17.
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