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Commuter trains to Milwaukee. COULD IT WORK?

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Posted by HarveyK400 on Monday, January 24, 2011 2:14 PM

schlimm

Perhaps the Wisconsin counties in which Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha rest should try to form a special taxation district and then contract with Metra to run initially some trains daily through to Milwaukee on the UP North line (or alternatively, the CP line), and gradually expand service frequency if the ridership grows.  It wouldn't be that expensive to implement. The Milw -Madison idea should be considered separately as the capital needs for RoW are much greater to get to Madison.

Much lower initial cost to add station at Kenosha for existing Hiawathas.

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, January 25, 2011 5:04 AM

Not too separately because the idea to get past the Governor is to keep from having to send the money already spent back to the Federal Gov., also there is strength in numbers so the towns between Madison and Milwaykee, as well as these two cities, should be part of the authority.

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Posted by HarveyK400 on Tuesday, January 25, 2011 3:36 PM

I thought the money went back (allocation rescinded?) already?

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 2:16 PM

Can someone check on this?

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Posted by schlimm on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 3:03 PM

daveklepper

Can someone check on this?

Long gone.

The state and some Wisconsin counties are stuck with the $35 million tab to upgrade a freight line between Madison and Watertown now that federal high-speed train money is gone.

http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2010/12/17/departing-rail-money-puts-freight-line-in-a-pinch/

“The state had been waiting nearly a decade for federal money to come to Wisconsin to upgrade this freight line,” said Ken Lucht, manager of community development for Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co., the state-contracted operator of the 33-mile track. “But because it is being redirected to other parts of the country, it’s pretty clear now the state is going to have to rebuild it themselves.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Dec. 9 redirected nearly all of Wisconsin’s $810 million in high-speed rail money to 13 other states. That pushed any potential rail upgrades back at least five years, Lucht said, and requires his company apply for a grant from the state’s rail preservation program.

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

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