With amenities such as “bistro cars” and WI-FI access, Governor Jim Doyle says Wisconsin is going to be able to demonstrate a new kind of passenger rail service to the rest of the country, and to do it first. “We are going to move beyond all of the preliminary engineering and the design. In the next two years we are actually going to have modern trains riding over tracks, providing service to people in this state,” Doyle said during a meeting with federal railroad officials in Milwaukee on Thursday.
The Amtrak board of directors met in Milwaukee, and Joseph Szabo, Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, was also there. Szabo said a high speed link between that city and Twin Cities is the longer term goal. “This is a market that has to be served, it has tremendous potential,” said Szabo. The plan is to first improve the Hiawatha line between Milwaukee and Chicago, then extend Amtrak service to Madison. Amtrak eventually wants to link all major population centers in the Midwest. Talgo will build the train cars in Milwaukee.
Bob Hague (:60 MP3) AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:60 MP3)
