Sept. 30, 2020 2:50p
(WGTD)----Additional Amtrak service between Chicago and St. Paul with stops in Sturtevant is one step closer to reality.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that the project has received a nearly $32 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration for a variety of capital improvements along the route.
The final step appears to be securing funding from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Amtrak.
If all goes as planned, an additional daily round trip will be offered in 2024. The service will operate in conjunction with Amtrak's long-haul Empire Builder and follow its route through central Wisconsin with stops in Portage, Tomah, the Wisconsin Dells and LaCrosse before heading north to St. Paul. The new roundtrip will be an extension of existing Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee.
The DOT says the new round-trip will have a shorter travel time and greater on-time performance and reliability of regional trips--especially important for business and student travel.
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