Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Gov. Tony Evers announced Friday that the state has gotten $218 million in federal funds to expand Amtrak's Hiawatha passenger rail service in the state.
According to the senator's office, a Federal Railway Administration program will fund the final design and construction of the Hiawatha West Project, which will create passenger rail service between Chicago and Waukesha, Jefferson, and Dane Counties.
The current Hiawatha service runs between Chicago and Milwaukee and this will expand the route to Madison from Milwaukee.
“Expanding passenger rail means more safe, easy ways to get to and from work or school, more tourists coming into our communities and buying things in our shops, and more good-paying jobs across our state,” Baldwin said in a statement.. “For our agricultural and manufacturing businesses that use freight rail, this investment will reduce delays and give them reliability and confidence that their products are getting in the hands of customers on time."
“We’ve been working hard to build the safe, reliable 21st-century infrastructure needed to support Wisconsin’s growing 21st-century economy and workforce, and we’re excited to move this critical project forward to do just that,” Evers added in a statement. “We’re creating new passenger rail opportunities for folks to get to and from work, school, and other activities, all while creating 200 good-paying, family-supporting jobs that fuel our economy, and that’s a win-win for Wisconsin. I’m grateful for all the good work Sen. Baldwin and the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have done to support essential projects like these across our state.”
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