Amtrak Updating Locomotives, Buying New Equipment For Hiawatha

Amtrak Hiawatha Service train. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The locomotive fleet serving Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service line between Milwaukee and Chicago is getting an upgrade thanks to a $140 million federal grant. A separate $2.05 billion grant will fund the purchase of 43 additional trainsets, which could eventually be used for its extension.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded a $140 million grant to a group of agencies, including the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), to update 41 locomotives serving routes in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, including the Hiawatha. The FRA grant was included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress under President Joe Biden.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who supported the Biden proposal, said in a statement Wednesday that none of her Republican colleagues in the Wisconsin congressional delegation voted for the bill. She also celebrated the grant award, saying, “Investing in this rail line is an investment in the Main Streets that will get more customers, in families’ safety and in our state’s future. I voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and supported this project so we can build on its success, support our small businesses and tourism economy, and help travelers get from point A to B more safely and efficiently.”

The funds will cover midlife updates to Siemens Charger locomotives serving a number of routes, including the 86-mile Hiawatha. The upgrades will largely cover mechanical equipment, including new wheelsets, air compressors, traction motors, turbochargers, high-pressure fuel pumps and diesel engines. The Chargers were first put into service in 2017 and are now reaching the midpoint of their expected service life.

“Expanding reliable transportation alternatives to make it even easier to get to and from work, school, home, and everywhere in between has been a top priority for my administration since day one, and I’m jazzed that we secured the funding so we can continue our work to bolster passenger rail here in Wisconsin,” said Gov. Tony Evers, who thanked Baldwin for her work on the federal bill.

A second $2.05 billion grant to Amtrak will fund the purchase of 43 trainsets, including locomotives and passenger cars. The trainsets could be used as part of a Hiawatha Service extension to Madison, which is currently undergoing startup planning. WisDOT is seeking a federal grant to fund the majority of the capital costs associated with the $215 million project.

The new trainsets, which would not be delivered for several years, would be Siemens-made Airo trainsets. The first trainsets of that design are due to go into service soon in the Pacific Northwest.

More new train cars are due to arrive in the coming months, addressing capacity issues that have caused Hiawatha trains to routinely sell out. In March 2025, a substantial percentage of the passenger cars used by Amtrak had to be pulled from service because of corrosion concerns. The 1980s equipment replacement was delayed by former Gov. Scott Walker‘s decision to refuse an $810 million federal grant to extend the Hiawatha line to Madison. That refusal ultimately led the state to default on a contract for new trains and miss a Midwest pool order for new equipment.

By November, the Hiawatha is expected to have six new Siemens Venture passenger coaches and three cab-coach cars, which hold operational controls and seating in service to address the capacity issue.

The $140 million locomotive grant recently announced will keep the aging Amtrak fleet in working order and prevent future service disruptions, said WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman.

“As the Charger locomotives entered mid-life stage, it became clear to WisDOT and our state partners that upgrades were needed to ensure safety and reliability on the popular Hiawatha train, between Chicago and Milwaukee, and a host of other routes,” Boardman said.

A number of other capacity-enhancing projects are underway for the Hiawatha, including the impending completion of the Milwaukee Airport Rail Station expansion and the start of the Muskego Yard bypass. Under an agreement with host railroad Canadian Pacific Kansas City, the two projects would allow Amtrak and WisDOT to add another roundtrip Hiawatha run between Milwaukee and Chicago.

Hiawatha ridership fell 5% to 631,990 in Amtrak’s 2025 fiscal year, which included a half-year of capacity issues. The Borealis, which replaced one of the seven daily Hiawatha roundtrips with an extended run to St. Paul, saw ridership of 212,909 in its first full fiscal year.