An online petition for expanded train service between Kenosha and Chicago is gaining plenty of steam from local residents.......While it might sound logical and is a flattering notion, Metra officials all but shot down the idea almost immediately due to limited Illinois transportation funding.
Decreasing service to and from Kenosha would be far more likely than increasing it, according to Metra official Meg Reile. She said the only reason Kenosha is included in Metra service is because of an agreement signed decades ago between Kenosha and the Chicago North Western Transportation Company.
“We needed yard space,” Reile said. “Since we were going to run trains there for storage anyway, we figured we might as well put people on them.”
http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/business/metra-petition-gains-traction-in-kenosha/article_fc16e4e1-5526-5a5f-a9c8-7c968476bbdb.html
I don't think that the petitions will carry much weight since Kenosha is outside the RTA's legally defined service area and as mentioned in the prior post the existing service exists more as a convenience to Metra than anything else.
I wonder if it would make sense for Amtrak to just build a new station further South and closer to Kenosha on the current Milwaukee to Chicago line. Sturtevant serves Racine more than Kenosha. Certainly would be a lot cheaper to build another station and add a stop to the Amtrak line then to expand the METRA yard facilities and start paying for METRA trains to Chicago from Kenosha (which are much slower than Amtrak trains from a new station closer to Kenosha).
CSSHEGEWISCH I don't think that the petitions will carry much weight since Kenosha is outside the RTA's legally defined service area and as mentioned in the prior post the existing service exists more as a convenience to Metra than anything else.
They looked at extending METRA trains to Milwaukee from Kenosha post 2000 sometime and they found a way around that issue. The trainsets would be leased to a third party operator and their operations funded by Wisconsin. I believe that is how they circumvented that restrictive clause. It's not a huge obstacle, the overall pricetag is however.....I think it was north of $250 million somewhere for the lease, operations and to fix the track up to 70 mph speeds....ballpark figure, it was post 2000 at some point, so details are fuzzy to me. You can Google KRM line maybe they still have the report somewhere.
Oh wow! Glad I googled it myself.......look at what I found, a new development:
https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/milwaukee-plans-to-buy-land-for-possible-passenger-station-on-rail-line
I've lived in Kenosha for about 15 years and I watched the KRM proposal gain steam and then promptly fizzle. There was also a proposal in the last 10 years or so to add an Amtrak stop along the CP (Hiawatha) line in Pleasant Prairie at WI Hwy. 165. I don't know exactly why, but that abruptly died and was replaced by a Park and Ride parking lot.
As the petition mentioned in the article has circulated on Facebook in the last week or so, I've tried to explain to friends who posted they had signed it why it is unlikely Kenosha will ever see expanded service (the C&NW legacy; lack of RTA membership; Metra being practically broke), but no one seems to care. "I want it now and dont' tell me why I can't have it!"
With a different state government in WI soon to ttake effect maybe Milwaukkee - Kenosha wisconsin service could be implemented with cross platform connections to Metra ?
blue streak 1 With a different state government in WI soon to ttake effect maybe Milwaukkee - Kenosha wisconsin service could be implemented with cross platform connections to Metra ?
Given that the Republican majority in the state legislature grew in the last election, even though the office of governor changed hands, it's very, very unlikely.
kenotrainnutGiven that the Republican majority in the state legislature grew in the last election, even though the office of governor changed hands, it's very, very unlikely.
Thats probably correct, their position is to shrink the state subsidy over time to Milwaukee to Chicago but to also improve service at the same time.
Currently Wisconsin pays the majority of the Milwaukee to Chicago Hiawatha service with Illinois only paying 25% of the cost (see attached).
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2013/06/amtrak-to-end-food-service-on-hiawatha-route
The next step up in service for Amtraks Milwaukee to Chicago Corridor has been estimated at $250 million plus. Forget the exact price breakdown and folks can search for the info just like I did long ago or do a Google Search. But I believe the breakdown went like this.....
$5 million to fill the gap of CTC through the Milwaukee Intermodal Terminal.
$20-30 million to enhance the cutoff from cutoff tower through what is left of Muskego Yard (2-4 tracks......2 tracks with CTC, that rejoin the main South of the Amtrak Depot. It was proposed as just two tracks but I said -4 above because later it was mentioned in the same study they wanted to use more tracks for holding trains waiting on passenger service and I am not sure that 2 tracks is enough for that and maintain one open for traffic.
$10-15 million for one additional new trainset. Estimated as a loco and 5 cars but that has probably increased to a loco and 7 cars by now.
$$$$ - Forget the estimate for adding a expanded platform and pedestrian crossover at Mitchell Field Airport.
The rest is for upgrading the Milwaukee to Chicago line to 90 mph North of the State Line and adding a 3-5 mile passing siding near Glenview.
Last I heard the above project was blocked by IDOT because residents of Glenview were complaining about the passenger siding. They wanted a third main track instead because they didn't want trains to stop on the passing siding and idle in their backyards. Even if IDOT didn't say the project was blocked, have my doubts that Wisconsin will ever spend that chunk of money on it's own for rail service without Federal help.
In my view Wisconsin could force the issue via the court system against both IDOT and METRA if it wanted to stick with a passing track, the state would probably win as well but Wisconsin won't do that either.....it will chose to roll over if the Feds pay.
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