MIDWEST REGIONAL RAIL INITIATIVE WISCONSIN UPDATE

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MIDWEST REGIONAL RAIL INITIATIVE WISCONSIN
UPDATE

• Randy Wade
• Wisconsin Department of Transportation
• AASHTO Standing Committee on Rail Transportation
  
• August 18, 2008
• Milwaukee, WI

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MWRRI
Nine states and Amtrak have worked together
since 1996 to plan and implement a 3,000-mile,
Chicago- based high-speed passenger rail system
The Midwest
Regional Rail System (MWRRS)

• Goals
• Provide network efficiencies to each corridor
• Increase speeds (up to 110 mph) and frequencies
  to increase revenues and cover operating costs
• Keep capital investment within reasonable levels
• Provide a nine-state political coalition to seek
  Congressional support for federal capital funding

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MWRRI System Capital Costs

• 3,000 miles of upgraded track -- 2.2 million per
  mile

• 63 new trains
• New remodeled stations
• Maintenance facilities

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Phase 1 Madison- Milwaukee Chicago

• Madison-Milwaukee
• 110 mph, 1 hr. 11 min. trip (express)
• 6 -10 daily round trips
• Milwaukee-Chicago
• 79 mph, 1 hr. 21 min. trip (express)
• 10 daily round trips

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Phase 2 St. Paul-Madison

• St. Paul-Madison
• 110 mph, 3 hr. 31 min. travel time St. Paul to
  Madison (express)
• 6 round trips

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Phase 3 Green Bay- Milwaukee-Chicago

• Green Bay-Milwaukee
• 110 mph
• 2 hr. 8 min. (express)
• 7 round trips

• Milwaukee to Chicago
• 110 mph
• 1 hr. 4 min. (express)
• 17 round trips

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Incremental Approach
Madison-Milwaukee-Chicago Phase I Service 2008

• Infrastructure 335 mil.
• Equipment 106 mil.
• Total Capital Cost 441 mil.
• Federal funds required before proceeding
• 80/20 federal-state program sought

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Implementation Activities Milwaukee-Madison
Corridor

• 4.8 million Milwaukee-Madison Environmental
  Assessment and Preliminary Engineering Study
• Final public hearings held
• FONSI approved by FRA August 2004
• 7 million purchase Watertown to Madison
• 32 miles purchased from WSOR/CP Rail -- December
  2003
• Chicago-Madison Engineering Work Capacity
  Analysis (ongoing)
• 80 million in state bonding authorized

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Hiawatha Service

• Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha service supported
  since 1989 by Wisconsin and Illinois
• 7 round trips
• Ridership in SFY 2008 692,000 all time record
• A continuing trend
• July 2008 ridership 78,622 -- all time record --
  37 increase
• On time performance best on Amtrak System

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Hiawatha Marketing Campaign
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Milwaukee Amtrak Station
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Milwaukee Intermodal Station
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Milwaukee Airport Rail Station
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Sturtevant Amtrak Station
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MIS Train Shed and Platform Rehab
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MIS Train Shed Project

• Rehabilitate the current train shed to complete
  MIS project
• Replace platforms to meet 2010 ADA standards
• Provide overhead passenger access with
  escalators, elevators
• Redesign and rebuild train shed roof
• Conceptual engineering completed
• Estimated cost between 11.5 and 16.5 million
  depending on platform height
• FTA, CMAQ and state funding

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Questions or Comments?