(The following story by Larry Sandler appeared on the Journal Sentinel website on April 15, 2010.)
MADISON, Wisc. — Gov. Jim Doyle and top federal railroad officials predicted Thursday that expanded passenger train service will be successful in Wisconsin, while labeling criticism of the plan as politically motivated.
By adding new trains to the existing Milwaukee-to-Chicago Hiawatha line and expanding service to Madison, and eventually the Twin Cities, Doyle said Wisconsin “will demonstrate to the entire country what passenger rail is about. … We will be able to run one of the great, great rail services in the United States.”
The federal government has awarded the state $810 million in stimulus money for the Milwaukee-to-Madison route, which would start at 79 mph in 2013 and reach 110 mph by 2015.
Additional federal money will go to upgrade Hiawatha service and plan for service between Madison and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Separately, the state has a $43.6 million deal with Talgo to buy two new trains for the Hiawatha, with an option to use part of the federal money for two more trains for the expanded service.
But both of the major Republican candidates for governor, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann, say they could shut down construction of the Milwaukee-to-Madison line if state taxpayers have to pick up any operating costs. Critics also have questioned whether ridership will be limited by plans to build the Madison station at Dane County Regional Airport instead of downtown Madison, and have attacked the no-bid deal with Talgo to build the trains.
Referring to the “no one will ride it” charge that critics hurl at this and other passenger rail plans, the outgoing Democratic governor said, “I know for political reasons that people make these statements, but it’s just not accurate.” Studies show the new line will draw riders not just between Milwaukee and Madison, but as part of the Hiawatha route and of a planned larger Midwestern network of fast, frequent trains, Doyle and Amtrak officials said at a news conference at Milwaukee’s downtown Amtrak-Greyhound station.
Amtrak’s chief executive officer, Joseph Boardman, said, “There’s always been the tired, worn-out argument that, ‘Gee, why do we need something like this?’ We need it for balanced transportation. … There are interests that don’t want it balanced. The public has decided they want it balanced.” Boardman pointed to projections that the extension to Madison would boost Hiawatha ridership from 741,781 last year to more than 1 million by 2013.
Amtrak Board Chairman Thomas Carper said the extension would build on the success of the Chicago-to-Milwaukee service, which he called one of the national passenger railroad’s “top 10 corridors.” The Hiawatha ranked eighth in ridership among Amtrak routes for the federal fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2009. Among similar short- and medium-range routes, it ranked third in on-time performance, with 87%, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said.