Well I went to the facebook page and it looks like in one of the pictures from November 11th they have the stairs in from the track level up to a walk over the tracks. Can't see if it is a mezzaine with more benches for waiting. The depot trainshed itself looks like the inside roof is more finished. Will be up there next week to see what the progress is and what the final design looks like after construction.
How convenient is that station to places people go to in downtown area?
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
It's within walking distance of downtown, Summerfest grounds, lakefront. You'll need a Cab or Bus to get to the Universities, Stadium, Arena, or Residential areas (South Side, East Side, West Side, etc). I think the new location is better than the Depot it replaced as it is closer to the Summerfest grounds and Lakefront.
It's also now an integrated Bus Depot with Greyhound Buses operating right from the train depot. I think the Badger Coaches still use the former Bus Depot on 7th and Wisconsin.........which is within walking distance of the Depot as well.
They have a facebook page and it even looks like some are using the trains into Chicago to commute to work from Milwaukee.
Thanks. And the new Calatrava Art Museum?
schlimm Thanks. And the new Calatrava Art Museum?
Thats quite a walk from the Amtrak station and is in the general vicinity of the former C&NW Lakefront station (which used to be at the foot of Wisconsin Ave at the lakefront).
I'm in Milwaukee right now and it was just on the evening news that someone bought the downtown shopping mall The Grand Avenue for $24.5 million and will attempt to revive it with new stores and upgrades. It is within walking distance of the Amtrak station.
Plan to make a trip down there this week and see if I can get some pictures of the interior to the trainshed improvements if I can.
Interesting notes on the drive up here from Dallas:
1. Yes they have quad gates now on the Chicago to St. Louis Amtrak route in Southern Illinois and Central Illinois as far as I could see from I-57.
2. Switching over to I-39. Interesting the new rail construction going on 5 miles South of Mendota, IL visible from the Interstate. Going to presume it is part of a BNSF branch from Mendota and they are building these huge rail loops to serve new huge grain elevators there. Several loops are constructed on what appears to be this branch from Mendota, South. One or two new loops appear to be under construction. Amazing how much land they take up to do a 360 with real railroad track. So looks like BNSF's strategy to centralize grain collection to a few rail lines might be working.
CMStPnPYes they have quad gates now on the Chicago to St. Louis Amtrak route in Southern Illinois and Central Illinois as far as I could see from I-57.
That would suggest the 110 mph speed limit should be in place over much of the route.
schlimmThat would suggest the 110 mph speed limit should be in place over much of the route.
I think they might be still waiting on the PTC, just wanted to cross the quad crossing gates off the list because it looks like they are all installed.
You know it is kind of funny as I paralleled the route for about 1.5 hours off and on........didn't see a single train on it. Yet followed the UP route West of St. Louis on I-44 and saw two freights.
We'll see what happens on the way back this Saturday - Sunday.
Trying to get to the Milwaukee Amtrak Depot once the rain lets up.
CMStPnPYou know it is kind of funny as I paralleled the route for about 1.5 hours off and on........didn't see a single train on it. Yet followed the UP route West of St. Louis on I-44 and saw two freights.
I really do not know, but maybe they use the old C&EI/MP route StL-CHI? West of StL along I 44 is the old Frisco.
I have the impression that the Chicago-Southwest trains bypass St. Louis altogether, using the former C&EI. I have no idea as to how much Chicago-St. Louos traffic there is; it also may bypass the passenger line.
Johnny
OK some pictures Finally. Here is the outside of the Milwaukee Amtrak Station looking East (so this would be the West End).
Backwards a few hundred yards from the above view. They kept all five tracks in the Amtrak station plus the two stub end tracks on the West End of the Depot which I guess to be future private car storage if Track 5 is ever used. They rebuilt the platforms as well 3 of them being for full length LD trains and one for the shorter Chicago to Milwaukee trains. The Caltrava bridge going over the tracks is 6th Street.........North Shore used to traverse that bridge into downtown Milwaukee.
Hard to see in this photo but they narrowed the platforms and spaced the tracks closer together so that now they are only using 2/3 of the former trainshed, remaining 1/3 is walled off. Not sure why they did that but they are also enclosing the North and West sides with panels and glass........for the most part they were open to the weather before when there was gaps between the station and post office. The Post Office is the dark brown structure behind the depot in this shot.
Closeup view of the new pedestrial overpass. It has both escalators and elevators and is not connected to the depot as far as I can see. Also note the new digital platform signs..........my guess for train arrival times to be posted (maybe they will open the platforms to the public?). The new platforms are to be mixed height to allow WALK ON for the Horizon and Amfleet cars (without stepbox) and WALK ON to the Empire Builder Superliner without step box. Since the cars are two different heights they need two different platform heights to accomplish this (lol). The other revisement in design is they will keep the tunnels and ramps under the platforms serviceable to be used in case of Emergency............whatever that means.
Escalators to platform 1 and my guess this is primary access to the overhead pedestrian structure. In this shot they are still covered in white plastic for the most part but you can see through where the plastic has ripped. The escalators are pretty narrow, only single file UP and single file DOWN. In my view they should open the second floor of the Amtrak depot and make the pedestrian walkway connect there as well. Though I do not think CP Rail would be appreciative of that idea. I think it would be better for the traveling public.
Escalators to platform 1 on the far far left of the picture against the wall.
They are still storing cars on Track 5 for Charter Steel although not their whole fleet (they have two more), they also moved 3 other private cars normally stored on track 5 to somewhere else. Shown here are Charter Steels open platform Observation and Vista Dome Car both in NYC two tone grey colors.
Thanks. I suppose it is an improvement but doesn't seem very inviting.
I wonder why they are retaining 3 LD tracks/platforms(?) for one LD train in each direction per day?
MidlandMike I wonder why they are retaining 3 LD tracks/platforms(?) for one LD train in each direction per day?
Thats the big mystery because the station was built with only one long platform and now has two additional. The only thing I can think of is sometimes both WB and EB Empire Builders arrive together in Milwaukee because one is late. The other item of course is it is in WisDOT and Amtraks long term plan (dream) to restore Chicago-Milwaukee-Fond Du Lac-Oshkosh-Appleton-Green Bay service. If they do restore that service it would be over the CN and run on Milwaukee Milwaukee to Duplainville, then use the connector track to CN to Fond Du Lac and beyond.
Have my doubts that will ever happen but it is why there is a Amtrak thruway bus on that route. It would not really be a LD route but back in the day when C&NW had the service the train was a long one even with the LD bi-levels. Still though when C&NW and MILWAUKEE built the depot in 1965. One long platform handled all the trains including the long one to Green Bay.......they just scheduled them at different times.
$20 million to replace a trainshed? Sounds kind of expensive to me. I remember using that station as a young boy in the 1970s. It was so dreary even then. I'm glad they finally did something. Here in Florida AAF is building much nicer looking new stations in West Palm Beach and Ft Lauderdale (including land purchase) for only $5-7M more than the cost of this project.
Makes me wonder about the bidding process for government projects.
This looks good and is very useful to the Amtrak passengers.
3 tracks ? Seems it will give maximum flexibility. Two late Builders arriving at same time as a HIA is waiting to return to CHI. Southbound Builder can connect to to HIA for Airport and Sturtevant passengers.
That's 3 thru (LD) tracks. HIA apparently has their own (stub?) track. Looking at the photos, it looks like a thru track shares a platform with a 4th track, for cross platform transfers. The other platform had space for 2 more thru tracks, so suppose they wanted to maximize the potential of that platform.
MidlandMike That's 3 thru (LD) tracks. HIA apparently has their own (stub?) track. Looking at the photos, it looks like a thru track shares a platform with a 4th track, for cross platform transfers. The other platform had space for 2 more thru tracks, so suppose they wanted to maximize the potential of that platform.
No, none of the 5 tracks under the trainshed are stub. The shorter platform track (Track #1) begins and ends under the trainshed with a switch at both ends, it is the track closest to the depot under the trainshed and what the Hiawatha Service uses for the most part as it has direct access from the platform to depot without crossing any tracks. The East End Switch for Track 1 is just after you enter and under the Post Office and the West End Switch for Track 1...is just before the trainshed ends on the West End. The two mainline tracks entering and exiting have LD platforms as does track 4. The mainline tracks are tracks 2 & 3. Track 1 is the track that is solely under the trainshed......track 4 & 5 stick out from the West end of the trainshed a bit.......Track 5 being the shortest of the two. In former times track #5 was for private car storage under the shed. No idea as to future plan. There are two stub end tracks on the West end of the depot that stub end as the trainshed begins and run for approx 4-5 passenger car lengths (so really 7 total tracks.........two outside entirely with no platform.....only gravel, and 5 inside the trainshed).
Empire Builder sometimes uses track #1 but for the most part track #2 and when both arrive I have seen it use track #2 and #3 together. Unfortunately when it uses track #2 or 3 you have to cross the tracks and either use the ramp down to the tunnels then up to the station or the new overhead stair contraption. DOT states the tunnels will remain for emergency use BUT I hope they leave the choice open to the passengers because the tunnel option is a better one for obese people and folks in a hurry. Wide and gradually rising ramps to track level. Why they came up with the stair and elevator contraption is also a mystery, tunnels were more than adequately engineered for ADA.
The outside stub end tracks were there before construction and I have sometimes seen a private car stored there as well as used as a waiting track for CP switch locomotive to switch out and back in private cars. In MILW and C&NW times the stub end tracks were for extra or standby coaches and they had another switch and three stub end tracks where the Amtrak pay parking is now for holding consist cars that were standby and mail/express.
Educated guess is switching charges in Milwaukee might be cheaper because the freight yard is close by to the passenger depot. The fact they kept the two stub end tracks is a mystery as well because they are so rarely used in the Amtrak era but when I say kept......they just kept the operational switches in place to them the tracks were not rehabbed and ties are mostly under gravel or mud.
I suspect since WisDOT was a contractor they kept all tracks in place because of future plans for expansion for HSR as well as one or two additional corridor trains. Also, has been talk off and on and some trial runs of Commutter rail service out West to Watertown. Some stations still in place others would need reconstruction but that was another long-term dream plan of Milwaukee (and Milwaukee Road for that matter). So far not enough political interest. However, WisDOT built Park and Rides along the route and I-94 for transit buses and the feeling was back then........build traffic with the bus Park and Rides then eventually compliment with rail.
One more item. CP runs freight trains through the depot. How much time this saves and why they do this are both a mystery to me as well the frieght cut-off to Muskego Yard before the Amtrak Depot will route the frieght trains back onto the passenger main about 2 miles West of the Amtrak Depot and from my observation it would seem to me to have the Frieghts use the cutoff prior to the depot and rejoin the tracks after the depot would be the faster route. However, I suspect that the track through the passenger depot is in better condition or results in less disruption to Muskego Yard operations? Not sure. Maybe a CP Engineer can tell us. Just seems stupid to me to route freight trains through the passenger depot when the alternative is in place and operational and seems to cut distance off the passenger depot dog leg?
BTW, if you do visit Milwaukee. Make sure you at least hit this bar. It is a parody on the Cold War..........CIA vs. the World motif. The Bar has a false front "Intenational Exports, Inc" and a password to get in. If you do not have the right password they will interrogate you on CCTV (watched by the rest of the bar) before they let you in. They also have secret passages and one or two trap doors but thats all I am going to tell you so as to not ruin the experience.......
http://www.safe-house.com/
You can obtain the password for the day by calling ahead and asking for it. It's more fun to do the security clearence test though even though it might have some public humiliation in it.
The Hail to the Chief treatment request is pretty cool as well if you put one of those in.....fun to watch.
I walked down one evening to look at the station while my friends went to a casino. We were staying at nearby hotel. It's very nice and surprised to hear it's been renovated. This was in 2007 and at the time St, Louis was building a new station that would share space with Greyhound bus like theirs. It was kind of tucked under that road bridge. Ours is nice too, but I wish an agreement could have been made with the owners of our Union Station to bring trains back there. We don't have that many any longer, nothing like the days when my parents & I traveled. The new owners of the Station are very train friendly, we have had Polar Express and Peanut trains and also Train Day hosted there with private cars on display. They want to get an excursion RR to return like we had for a few years-Railcruise American-the green train. If Amtrak still had Amshak, they might have been interested in returning, but now that they've built the new terminal, not an option. At least this one is nicer than Amshak and does have a cafe where you can get sandwiches and drinks, the old one had nothing but vending machines and when it was crowded, no place for everyone to sit.
More info I found on the Internet pertaining to this topic. It appears that Milwaukee's Amtrak station is no longer railroad or Amtrak property in that the Wisconsin DOT took over ownership and operation. Check out the operational costs below from the 2015-2017 WisDOT State Budget Request. Interesting to me with all the amount of money devoted to energy costs and all that space on the trainshed and station roof...........no solar panels?:
Department of Transportation 2015-2017 Biennial Budget Request ISSUE PAPER PROGRAM: Division of Business Management Facility Operation and Maintenance DIN: 5405 ISSUE TITLE: Operational and Maintenance Funding for Milwaukee Intermodal Station Passenger Concourse REQUEST: The Department requests $432,100 SEG in FY 16 and $864,300 SEG in FY 17, in Appropriation 461, s. 20.395(4)(aq),Wis. Stats., to fund operations and maintenance costs for the renovated passenger concourse at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station. SUMMARY: The passenger concourse for rail passengers at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station (MIS) is undergoing a $20.1 million renovation using a combination of state and federal funds and grants. The renovations are anticipated to be completed by December 2015. There is no base funding available for the operations and maintenance (O & M) costs for the renovated MIS Passenger Concourse. This request will provide funding to adequately operate and maintain the renovated facility. O & M activities at the MIS Passenger Concourse will be supervised by the Division of Business Management (DBM), in coordination with the Division of Transportation Investment Management (DTIM). JUSTIFICATION: MIS is the gateway for rail passengers arriving in Wisconsin. It serves as a transportation link for the Milwaukee area, allowing more than 1.3 million passengers per year to use the facility to make connections to: Amtrak's Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago; Amtrak’s Empire Builder long-distance service between Chicago and Seattle; Greyhound and other local, regional and intercity bus services; and County transit, taxis and personal vehicles. MIS is open 24 hours every day, 7 days a week, and is currently managed by DTIM. DTIM must coordinate with many other agencies involved in the funding of the facility as well as railroad operations oversight; these agencies include: the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Authority, and the United States Department of Homeland Security. MIS is operated through a public-private partnership agreement with the Milwaukee Intermodal Partners (MIP). The agreement provides a funding source for the MIS facility, but it does not cover O & M costs associated with renovations to the MIS Concourse. The MIS Passenger Concourse, also known as the Milwaukee Train Shed, adjoins the facility. It was built in 1965 and covers approximately 45,000 square feet over five tracks and three platforms with a tunnel and ramp system under the platforms providing below-grade pedestrian track crossing under the passenger concourse. There is a considerable amount of rail traffic passing through the MIS Passenger Concourse daily, which includes: between 25 and 30 freight trains; Amtrak trains; and A number of private passenger trains.
The passenger concourse, platforms and tunnel are owned and operated by the Department; the platforms, tunnel and ramps are located by easement on land owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Unlike the station at the MIS facility, the MIS Passenger Concourse is not included in the MIP agreement and has no funding source for O & M expenditures. Currently, O & M expenditures at the MIS Passenger Concourse have been funded by the Department on an as-needed basis. The MIS Passenger Concourse is undergoing $20.1 million in renovations through a combination of state and federal funds and grants, including federal earmarks and grants through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. The MIS Passenger Concourse must be renovated because it is in extremely poor condition, affecting passengers’ ability to effectively use the facility. In addition, the passenger concourse must be renovated to bring it into legal compliance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Renovations to the MIS Passenger Concourse include: bringing the concourse into compliance with ADA standards; a mezzanine spanning five tracks and three boarding platforms; 3 outdoor-rated elevators; 3 outdoor-rated (heated) escalator sets; stairways; passive and electric ventilation systems; signage; skylights; supplemental and emergency lighting; public announcement system; emergency egress tunnel conversion; ice melting mechanicals on the platforms; and epoxy paint covering of platforms for durability and slip prevention. The renovations are expected to be completed by December 2015. Compared to the current structure that is in very poor condition, the MIS Passenger Concourse will require significantly more maintenance after completion of the project to protect the state’s investment as well as to preserve the warranties for much of the renovations. Maintenance expenses are expected to be relatively minimal in the first year due to warranties and manufacturer service packages. Thereafter, the Department estimates O & M costs for the renovated MIS Passenger Concourse will be $864,300 annually, which includes: Table 1 Estimated Annual Operations and Maintenance Costs for Renovated MIS Passenger Concourse Anticipated Cost Energy Costs $547,700 Facility Maintenance $185,400 Facility Management $104,300 Security $ 26,900 TOTAL $864,300 Facility maintenance costs consist primarily of maintenance work on motors and pumps as well as routine facility maintenance and cleaning. Facility management costs will provide funding for a contracted facility management firm.
The MIP agreement does not provide funding for the O & M costs of the reconstructed MIS Passenger Concourse. The Department cannot absorb the additional operating costs within current operating budget allocations. This request will provide funding to adequately operate and maintain the renovated facility. Major repairs and replacements are not expected for the first 15 or 20 years of operation of the new passenger concourse. O & M activities at the passenger concourse would be supervised by DBM in coordination with DTIM. The Department of Transportation (DOT) requests $432,100 SEG in FY 16 and $864,300 SEG in FY 17, in Appropriation 461, s. 20.395(4)(aq),Wis. Stats., to fund operations and maintenance for the passenger concourse to be reconstructed in 2015 at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station.
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