Wisconsin Wins $218 Million Grant To Extend Hiawatha To Madison

Amtrak Hiawatha Service train. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

A proposal to restore passenger rail service between Milwaukee and Madison has secured a major federal grant, moving the long-planned connection substantially closer to reality.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Gov. Tony Evers announced Friday that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded more than $218 million to the Hiawatha West project.

The grant, awarded through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program, is expected to cover approximately 80% of the project’s capital costs and fund final design and construction. The State of Wisconsin will need to provide $54.5 million to access the grant for the $273 million project and an additional operating subsidy to run the twice-a-day train line.

The project would extend two of Amtrak’s seven daily Hiawatha Service round trips from Milwaukee to Madison, with intermediate stops in Pewaukee and Watertown. The trains would operate through to Chicago, creating the first regularly scheduled passenger rail connection between Madison and Milwaukee in decades.

The funding represents a major milestone for a project that Amtrak officials have characterized as one of the most promising passenger rail expansions in the country.

“Expanding passenger rail means more safe, easy ways to get to and from work or school, more tourists coming into our communities and buying things in our shops, and more good-paying jobs across our state,” said Baldwin in a statement.

The senator, who advocated to the Trump administration for the grant, said the project would also improve freight rail operations for Wisconsin manufacturers and agricultural businesses.

“We’ve been working hard to build the safe, reliable 21st-century infrastructure needed to support Wisconsin’s growing 21st-century economy and workforce, and we’re excited to move this critical project forward to do just that,” said Evers.

The federal grant will support rehabilitation of tracks, bridges and railroad crossings, capacity improvements and construction of new passenger stations. Much of the western part of the corridor is owned by the State of Wisconsin.

In June, Amtrak officials said they were preparing to finalize a service-development plan that would establish a more definitive cost estimate and outline the necessary infrastructure investments.

At the time, the project was estimated to cost between $215 million and $275 million.

Amtrak anticipates that the extension would generate approximately 260,000 additional passenger trips annually, building on the 681,600 trips taken on the existing Hiawatha Service during the 2025 fiscal year.

An initial analysis also estimated the extension would generate $46.3 million in annual economic impact and support 200 permanent jobs.

What’s Being Built?

The largest infrastructure investments would occur west of Watertown, where the state owns approximately 35 miles of railroad tracks leased to Wisconsin and Southern Railroad.

The tracks currently allow freight trains to operate at speeds of up to 30 mph. The passenger rail project would increase the operating speed to 59 mph, with certain infrastructure improvements designed to accommodate an eventual increase to 79 mph.

Eleven of the corridor’s 26 bridges would need to be replaced, while 52 of 61 road crossings would require safety improvements.

Thirty-five crossings would receive gates, lights and bells, while equipment at another 17 crossings would be upgraded.

East of Watertown, the line uses tracks owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City that already accommodate passenger trains traveling up to 79 mph. That section would require more limited improvements to accommodate additional passenger trains alongside existing freight traffic.

The project also includes three new passenger stations.

In Pewaukee, the proposed station would be at Duplainville Road and Marjean Lane. Watertown’s station would be on the east side of S. 3rd Street near Hyland Street, while Madison would initially use a city-owned site on Wilson Street.

The stations are intended to serve as temporary facilities until permanent stations can be developed. An overnight train storage facility would also be established in Madison.

The initial schedule is designed to allow Madison-area travelers to reach Chicago by 9:30 a.m. and return home the same evening. The trip between Madison and Chicago is projected to take approximately three-and-a-half hours.

What’s Next?

The grant resolves a major funding question, but the project still faces additional steps before passengers can board trains.

Amtrak and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation must complete environmental review, finalize engineering and design, and coordinate construction with the railroads that own or operate the tracks.

The project is also expected to require state matching funds and an ongoing operating subsidy.

Preliminary estimates identified a $2.5 million annual operating subsidy for the Madison extension, in addition to the approximately $5.6 million Wisconsin spends annually to support the existing Hiawatha Service.

In June, Amtrak officials identified 2029 as a best-case scenario for launching the service. The project’s actual opening date will depend on completing the remaining approvals, design and construction work.

The Hiawatha West project would build on the success of the Borealis, the Amtrak service connecting Chicago, Milwaukee and the Twin Cities that launched in May 2024.

It would also represent a first step toward a larger passenger rail network that could eventually include service to Eau Claire and other western Wisconsin communities.

Hiawatha West service map. Image from Amtrak presentation.