Amtrak Hiawatha West Service

media release: Amtrak is working with the Federal Railroad Administration, state and local partners, and host railroads to extend daily Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains to Waukesha, Jefferson and Dane Counties. This project is referred to as Hiawatha West and it is the first phase of a larger effort to implement Amtrak service between Chicago and the Twin Cities via Eau Claire.

Initially, this service would have up to two daily round-trips with a focus on temporary stations in the Pewaukee, Watertown, and Madison areas. This is based on factors such as access to population centers and the spacing of stops, operational feasibility, and ridership potential.

No decisions are final until the end of the planning and environmental clearance process.

The first required step to advance Hiawatha West is the completion of a Service Development Plan. Amtrak is working with its partners to complete the plan and design a project that can be implemented quickly at the lowest cost and generate a strong return on investment.

Amtrak is seeking comments and feedback, starting with a webinar. Register at this link.

For more information, including how interested stakeholders can ask questions and provide project feedback, visit https://amtraknewera.com/hiawatha-west/. A recording of the presentation will also be available at that site.