Speeding Up the Hiawatha

[zardoz]

This is from the front page of the 7/30/04 issue of The Business Journal of Milwaukee. It's sorta lengthy, but I thought it rather interesting.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Speeding up the Hiawatha: Ridership increase leads to call for more frequency, higher speed, Madison trips. By Rich Rovito.


The number of passengers riding Amtrak's Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago has climbed to record levels, fueling talks of expanding the number of trips on the route and increasing the speed of the trains.

Also under consideration by state and federal officials is extending the Hiawatha service west to Madison.

A total of 453,611 passengers traveled on the Hiawatha line for the 12-month period ended June 30, an increase of 13 percent compared with the prior fiscal year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

In June, more than 41,000 passengers used the train, an increase of nearly 8 percent compared with the same month a year ago.

State and Amtrak officials are seeking funds for improvements to the rail line, owned by Canadian Pacific Railway, that would allow trains to travel at higher speeds.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation secretary Frank Busalacchi traveled to Washington, D.C., in late June to reiterate his support for Amtrak's Corridors Initiative that would create high-speed rail service that would connect Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison.

Development of the Milwaukee-to-Madison corridor is one of the "Tier One" projects identified by Amtrak in the initiative, which is part of Amtrak's 2005 strategic plan that establishes priorities for passenger rail routes with the greatest ridership and economic development potential.

Preliminary engineering and environmental work on the Milwaukee-to-Madison segment already has been completed.

"We've done everything we can to be first in line," said Randy Wade, passenger rail manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Busalacchi, who couldn't be reached for comment, has requested that federal funds be allocated for the passenger rail initiative in the same manner that is provided to highway, airport and other transportation improvements.

Supporters of the expansion of the Hiawatha service point to its on-time performance and other passenger rail initiatives in Milwaukee, including the construction of a $6.5 million rail station at General Mitchell International Airport, which is supported by federal funds. Construction of the 1,800-square-foot platform and parking facility already is under way with completion expected by the end of 2004.


The Hiawatha line currently offers seven trips in each direction Monday through Saturday, and six on Sundays. Amtrak officials would like to see that number increased to at least 10 trips in each direction, said Marc Magliari, Chicago-based spokesman for Amtrak.

There are several reasons for the increase in riders on the Hiawatha line, Wade said.

"We've got a lot of frequency on the route and the best on-time performance of any of Amtrak's services," he said.

Work also has begun on an $8.8 million public/private venture to remodel the 1960s-era Amtrak station on St. Paul Avenue in downtown Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee-to-Chicago trip currently takes about one hour and 30 minutes. The goal is to reduce the travel time to about one hour and five minutes, Magliari said.

"Speed is important because it can reduce the travel time and locomotives can make more trips," he said.

A reduction in travel time will attract even more riders on the route, particularly those making regular trips by car between Milwaukee and Chicago, said Pete Beitzel, vice president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.

"There's no way you can drive a car that fast," Beitzel said.

Federal issue
Any upgrades in speed and service -- or an extension to Madison -- depend on federal support for the Hiawatha line and for Amtrak in general.

For fiscal 2005 starting in October, Amtrak has requested $1.8 billion in federal funds, or about $300 million more than it received for 2004. The Bush administration has proposed allocating the railroad $900 million in the new budget year.

"The question of Amtrak funding seems to be one that Congress wrestles with every year," Magliari said. "There's a question again this year."

The $900 million in funding proposed by the Bush administration would be "insufficient" to run Amtrak, he said.

Without a boost in federal funds, Amtrak could be forced out of business, Magliari said.

Amtrak would just as soon shut down operations as opposed to having individual routes battle for available funds, he said.

"We're not going to pit the Hiawatha against the San Joaquin service in California and the Crescent that runs from New Orleans to New York," he said.

At the same time, it's easier to seek additional federal funds for full trains such as those on the Hiawatha service, he said.

The states of Wisconsin and Illinois provide financial support for the Hiawatha service. For fiscal 2004, Wisconsin and Illinois provided $5.3 million and $1.8 million, respectively, toward the operation of the service.

[zardoz]

After posting the above, I dug a bit deeper into the Business Journal archives, and found this article from 9/15/03.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the road to records
Business passengers push Milwaukee-Chicago line ridership increase
Pete Millard

Amtrak's Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago smashed passenger records for July and is on pace to set new ridership highs for the year.

In July, Amtrak's 14 daily Hiawatha trains carried 40,124 passengers, an increase of 13.4 percent compared to the service's previous high of 35,385 in July 2002.

Amtrak also set a new revenue record in July on the Hiawatha line without raising fares. Amtrak collected $647,027 in fares, a 10.5 percent increase over July 2002.

Thanks to increased ridership in April, May, June and July, Amtrak officials expect the Milwaukee-Chicago connection to post year-end passenger figures that are between 10 percent and 12 percent higher in 2003.

The Hiawatha corridor also has the highest on-time performance in the Amtrak system.

Hiawatha trains are on schedule 95.2 percent of the time, said Dan Stessel, an Amtrak spokesman. Out of 4,634 trains that ran between Chicago and Milwaukee over the last 11 months, 221 were late, said Stessel.

Nationally, Amtrak reported 2.2 million passengers in July, making it the best month for ridership in the railroad's 32-year history. The record-setting month comes on the heels of Amtrak's strongest April, May and June ridership ever when the railroad carried an average of 2.1 million people each month.

"Slowly, but surely we are making improvements and are beginning to see results," said Amtrak president David Gunn.

Business drives figures
Amtrak attributes the increase in ridership along the Hiawatha line to an increase in the number of businesspeople traveling between Milwaukee and Chicago.

Milwaukee ad agency Cramer-Krasselt Co. is one of dozens of southeastern Wisconsin companies with offices or clients in Chicago. C-K estimates its employees take more than 50 roundtrips between Milwaukee and Chicago a month.

The reliability and convenience of the Milwaukee/Chicago Amtrak connection allows C-K to use the combined strength and expertise of two offices to pursue new business and service existing clients, said Paul Bentley, a vice president and general manager of C-K's Milwaukee office.

"Between traffic and weather, driving is no longer a reliable option when punctuality is of the essence," said Bentley. "The guaranteed on-time performance provided by Amtrak is more than a convenience, it has become a business necessity."

Not only is Chicago a key place for Milwaukee companies to do business, and vice versa, but it is a popular destination for Milwaukeeans seeking shopping and entertainment venues, said Peter Beitzel, a vice president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and a transportation specialist.

"I think the Hiawatha service benefits from the price of gasoline being high," said Beitzel.

Whether people go to downtown Chicago for business or pleasure, the train has become the most convenient way to travel, said Beitzel.

With public support to modernize Amtrak's infrastructure, trains and stations, the railroad will continue to build on its successes of 2003, said Gunn.

Renovation plan
The Milwaukee Amtrak station is in the early stages of a $4.3 million renovation plan that will bring a new look and expanded services to the rail station. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, working with Amtrak and a group called Milwaukee Intermodal Partners, is planning to make the station a hub for inter- and intra-city bus and rail service.

Greyhound and Badger Bus plan to move out of their current facilities between Michigan Street and Wisconsin Avenue along James Lovell Drive (North Seventh Street) and into the remodeled Amtrak station.

Fifteen Amtrak routes nationally posted double-digit ridership gains in July vs. the same month last year.

[zardoz]

Also from the Business Journal:

Central Texans traveling to Dallas for the annual Red River Shootout football game between the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma might be able to skip I-35 traffic.

Amtrak's Texas Eagle will offer "Texas Victory Game Train" service between Austin and Dallas on the weekend of the game in October. For several years, Amtrak has offered a similar service to OU fans traveling from Oklahoma City to Dallas for the game.

Amtrak says the train will be bigger than the Oklahoma train and will be embellished with UT-inspired decorations. Amtrak will offer special on-board events for the UT fans and intends to provide a limited number of private rooms at no extra charge.

Round-trip train travel will cost UT fans about $60 each.

[zardoz]

From the 1/19/04 Business Journal:

Rail station links Mitchell to Chicago fliers

Midwest Airlines hopes to lure Illinois travelers
Michael Muckian

Midwest Airlines and air travelers from Chicago's northern suburbs are expected to be the major beneficiaries of an Amtrak station scheduled to break ground near General Mitchell International Airport this spring.

A deal between Midwest Air Group Inc., the Oak Creek airline's holding company, and Amtrak, Washington, D.C., will allow passengers to board the Hiawatha line in downtown Chicago or the suburb of Glenview and take the train to a new station adjacent to Mitchell's western boundary.

The project is being paid for with $6.5 million in federal funds delivered through the U.S. Department of Transportation. It will be augmented by $100,000 in design and engineering assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

The station will be built on Milwaukee County land where existing Canadian Pacific Railroad tracks pass the airport at the west end of remote parking lot B, said Ron Adams, director of Wisconsin's Bureau of Railroads & Harbors. The parcel also houses leased hangars for Midwest Airlines.

Midwest Airlines, a primary beneficiary, has no financial stake in the project, said Carol Skornicka, the airline's senior vice president and chief counsel.

"We're not building it, we're not funding it, but we are encouraging it as a means to extend our market to encompass northern Illinois," Skornicka said.

Currently, between 6 percent and 10 percent of Midwest Airlines' frequent flyer program members are from Illinois, Skornicka said. The airline has not projected the amount those numbers may climb once rail service is initiated to Mitchell, she said.

Once the station is completed by late 2004, the trip from Glenview should take 45 minutes and cost $15 to $20. The connection also may be used to shuttle passengers between stops when inclement weather forces the cancellation of flights, said Adams.

The plan for the station, originally hatched during the administration of Gov. Tommy Thompson when Thompson served on the Amtrak board, took 13 years to reach fruition. The $6.5 million in funds was allocated during the last federal budget cycle and became available at the start of the 2004 fiscal year Oct. 1, 2003.

All aboard
Midwest Airlines already maintains a relationship with Amtrak, allowing train travelers to log frequent flyer miles on the airline, Skornicka said. The new station will help boost the relationship to a truly "inter-modal" status, allowing travelers to purchase one ticket for both modes of transportation, she said.

[dknelson]

The Milwaukee Road once made the trip from Chicago to Milwaukee, on jointed rail, quite possibly on friction bearing trucks, behind steam, and in an era of heavy and slow freight traffic and hooped-up orders -- in 67 minutes.
The Hiawatha in the steam era had a standing direction for the junction at Rondout IL: "Reduce to 90."
Dave Nelson

[jchnhtfd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dknelson

The Milwaukee Road once made the trip from Chicago to Milwaukee, on jointed rail, quite possibly on friction bearing trucks, behind steam, and in an era of heavy and slow freight traffic and hooped-up orders -- in 67 minutes.
The Hiawatha in the steam era had a standing direction for the junction at Rondout IL: "Reduce to 90."
Dave Nelson

One wonders a little how often they really did reduce to 90 at Rondout...

Heavy slow freights, hooped-up orders indeed... but the Hiawathas were Kings on that line, just like the other great streamliners, and woe betide the poor SOB who somehow managed to slow them down!

And one wishes that even one of those incredible Atlantics or the streamlined Pacifics had been preserved... !