File photo

File photo

A battle over Wisconsin’s order for two high speed trains is likely headed to court.

Spanish train maker Talgo says it plans to sue, after the State Claims Board on Monday denied the company’s $66 million damage claim against Wisconsin. The board said the matter would be best resolved in the court system, although state law requires the panel to review any claims before a lawsuit can be filed.

The two trains, built in Milwaukee, were ordered under a deal brokered by then-Governor Jim Doyle as part of a plan to add a high speed rail line connecting Madison and Milwaukee. Governor Scott Walker was a vocal critic of using $810 million in federal funding for the project, which he effectively killed after he was elected in 2010 when the money was returned to the federal government. Talgo kept building the trains though, which the state rejected in 2012 based on claims that they did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

State officials said Talgo never completed its manufacturing and testing process for the trains. The company has since moved its operations to Seattle.

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