Wisconsin Wins $218 Million in Federal Funds for Amtrak Hiawatha West: Chicago-to-Madison Line Advances
Madison, the state capital in Wisconsin's Dane County, is set to gain a new intercity rail link. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced on October 16 that the state has secured more than $218 million in federal funding to extend Amtrak Hiawatha passenger service westward and strengthen the freight corridor along the route.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) funding will pay for final design and construction of the Hiawatha West project, establishing intercity passenger service between Chicago and Waukesha, Jefferson and Dane counties. The work includes rehabilitating and expanding track, bridges and crossings and building new intercity passenger stations, with stops planned at Pewaukee, Watertown and Madison. Funding sources include the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and annual appropriations.
State officials project 200 permanent jobs and about $46 million in annual economic benefit, along with safer, faster and more reliable freight rail. The project is priced at about $272.8 million, with the federal government covering roughly 80 percent and Wisconsin responsible for about $54.6 million, to be considered in the state legislature's 2027-29 budget. The initial plan is two daily round trips, expandable to four, with passenger service starting in 2030 at the earliest.
Governor Tony Evers said the investment builds safe, reliable 21st-century infrastructure; Senator Tammy Baldwin said the expansion gives residents a safe and convenient new way to commute and travel for school. (GSM, based on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporting)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Amtrak Hiawatha 列车停靠 Glenview 站（2025年9月摄，资料图）。照片：G Pei，公共领域，经维基共享资源。Photo: An Amtrak Hiawatha train at Glenview station, September 2025 (file photo). By G Pei, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
