A renovated station bodes well for the future of passenger rail in Wisconsin. John Parkyn with the Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers says Milwaukee's new Inertmodal Station is a winner. The station, actually a $17 million renovation of the existing Amtrak depot, now serves bus passengers, as well as riders on Amtrak's Empire Builder and the popular Hiawatha rail service between Milwaukee and Chicago. Parkyn expects the new station — along with high gas prices — will help propel ridership between the two cities to over a million. City, state, federal and private funding went into the renovated station, which got its grand opening Monday morning.