Coalition for Western Wisconsin Passenger Rail Provides Update

Plans for Western Wisconsin passenger rail service between Eau Claire and the Twin Cities are advancing as officials eye a suitable corridor.

Members of the West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition provided an update on the plans last week. According to a Leader Telegram report, coalition chairman Scott Rogers says the organization has identified a potential rail line along the I-94 corridor. The Chippewa-St. Croix Regional Corridor would follow the highway from St. Paul through Eau Claire and Black River Falls.

The Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program provided $500,000 in grant funding to identify the corridor. Officials used the funding to identify five corridors across the state, one of which would connect Eau Claire to Madison and another connecting Madison to Milwaukee.

Updates for the potential Western Wisconsin passenger rail corridor were not all positive, however. Coalition officials say changes in the federal government could make funding for the project more difficult to obtain. Some believe former Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy may not be as aggressive in pursuing rail expansion in his new role as Secretary of the Department of Transportation.

Expanding rail service had been a major goal for both the Wisconsin and Minnesota State Legislatures in recent years. In November, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation was awarded nearly $73 million to expand service between Milwaukee and Chicago. The Minnesota State Legislature has also committed funding to passenger rail service between Duluth and Minneapolis with stops in Coon Rapids, Cambridge, Hinckley, and Superior.

Previous rail projects across the state have proven to provide an economic boost for smaller cities. In addition to an increase in tourism, the building of the rail lines supports good construction jobs and provides residents with an easier way to travel across the region.

Transportation officials say there is still about $10 billion in unallocated rail funds through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.