The Federal Railroad Administration recently awarded the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) a $31.8 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant.
Funding will be used for the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago (TCMC) Intercity Passenger Rail Project that will double passenger rail service and increase freight efficiency along the 411-mile corridor connecting St. Paul and Chicago.
The project will add a second daily passenger rail round-trip along the corridor shared by the Amtrak Empire Builder and Hiawatha Service trains. Departures are planned in the morning and mid-day for each city. During the first year of service, more than 124,000 riders are projected to ride the line.
Rail improvements will also be conducted on the lines forecasted to save $34.7 million in freight costs over the next 30 years of operation. The improvements will modernize sections of track, increase the movement of freight, ease train congestion, and reduce gate-down times.
“This vital rail project came together because the federal government not only recognized its importance to the region but the extraordinary collaboration among states, local economic groups, and freight and passenger rail,” WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said.
The TCMC is expected to begin service before the end of 2024.