(The following story by Steve Cahalan appeared on the LaCrosse Tribune website on April 17, 2010.)
LaCROSSE, Wisc. — Amtrak is committed to continuing passenger rail service to La Crosse, whether or not the city is on a high-speed rail segment that will connect Madison and the Twin Cities, an official said Friday.
Derrick James, senior government affairs officer with Amtrak’s Chicago region office, spoke at an economic forum held by the La Crosse Area Development Corp. and the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce.
High-speed rail was the topic of the forum at the Radisson Hotel, which drew an audience of about 140 people. It also featured Joshua Coran, director of operations with Talgo Inc., one of the primary manufacturers of high-speed train equipment.
Area government and business leaders in La Crosse, Winona, Minn., and other cities along Amtrak’s Empire Builder route want their communities included on the high-speed rail segment. But leaders in the Eau Claire, Wis., area have pressed to have the high-speed line through their region instead, as have Rochester, Minn., officials. After a study is done, the Wisconsin and Minnesota departments of transportation will recommend a high-speed route between Madison and the Twin Cities, probably in late 2010 or early 2011.
“We are not of an opinion that taking service from one community and giving it to another is something that we will do with our train service,” James said. “So we are committed to preserving the Empire Builder corridor here.”
La Crosse should continue to have conventional-speed Amtrak service if it’s unsuccessful in its efforts to be on the high-speed route, James said later in an interview.
About 30,000 passengers a year either board or get off Amtrak trains at La Crosse. “La Crosse doesn’t have anything to worry about” with passenger totals that high, James said.
James also said Amtrak has started offering wireless Internet service on its trains in the Northeast and will offer it nationwide over the next couple years.