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Hiawatha (Amtrak)
Encyclopedia
Hiawatha Service, or Hiawatha, is the name of an 86 miles (138.4 km) train route operated by Amtrak
on the western shore of Lake Michigan
, although the name was historically applied to several different routes that extended across the Midwest and out to the Pacific Ocean
. As of 2007, fourteen trains (seven round-trips, six on Sunday) run daily between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, making intermediate stops in Glenview, Illinois
, Sturtevant, Wisconsin
, and General Mitchell International Airport
. The line is partially supported by funds from the state governments of Wisconsin
and Illinois
. The service carried 783,060 riders in fiscal year 2010, a 6.1% increase from FY 2009's total of 738,231 passengers. Revenue during FY 2010 totaled $14,092,803, a 6% increase from FY 2009's $13,300,511 total revenue. It is Amtrak's ninth-busiest route, and the railroad's busiest line in the Midwest. Ridership per mile is also very high, exceeded only by the Northeast Regional and the Capitol Corridor
. A one-way trip between Milwaukee and Chicago takes about 90 minutes.
(also known as the "Milwaukee Road") and initially traveled from Chicago to the Twin Cities in Minnesota
. The first Hiawatha
trains ran in 1935. By 1946, there were actually four routes carrying the Hiawatha name, Chicago–Minneapolis; Chicago–Omaha; Chicago–Wausau–Minocqua; and Chicago-Minneapolis-Seattle.
The Hiawathas were among the world's fastest trains in the 1930s and 1940s and reached some of their peak speeds on this stretch, directly competing with trains from the Chicago and North Western Railway
which ran on roughly parallel tracks. 90-minute non-stop service between Chicago and Milwaukee was first introduced in the mid-1930s, and this later fell to 75 minutes for several years. A self-imposed 100 miles per hour (160.9 km/h) speed limit was routinely exceeded by locomotive engineers, until the Interstate Commerce Commission
rules imposed a stricter limit
of 90 mph (144.8 km/h) in the early 1950s, and the train slowed to a schedule of 80 minutes, though with the addition of the Glenview stop. Ultimately, the speed limit fell to 79 mph (127.1 km/h) in 1968 because of signaling changes and the schedule went back to 90 minutes end-to-end.
Under Amtrak
, which assumed control of most intercity passenger rail service in the United States
on May 1, 1971, the Hiawatha name survived in two forms. The first was a Chicago–Milwaukee–Minneapolis service, known simply as the Hiawatha. This would be renamed the Twin Cities Hiawatha
, then extended to Seattle and renamed the North Coast Hiawatha. This service ended in 1979.
The second was a Chicago–Milwaukee corridor known as the Hiawatha Service (as opposed to Hiawatha). Although Amtrak had retained Chicago–Milwaukee service during the transition, it did not name these trains until October 29, 1972. At this time both Hiawatha and Hiawatha Service could be found on the same timetable. On June 15, 1976, Amtrak introduced Turboliner
s to the route and the name Hiawatha Service left the timetable, not to return until 1989. The Chicago–Milwaukee trains were known simply as "Turboliners" (as were comparable trains on the Chicago–Detroit and Chicago – St. Louis corridors) until October 26, 1980, when Amtrak introduced individual names for each of the trains. This practice ended on October 29, 1989, when the name Hiawatha Service returned as an umbrella term for all Chicago–Milwaukee service.
In 2005, another station opened on the line, the Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station at General Mitchell International Airport
. The expansion was intended to facilitate transfer to and from the airport, as well (shuttles run between the station and the main terminal), giving residents on the south side of Milwaukee easier access to the service, along with an alternative to the central station in downtown, which is now fully accessible owing to the completion of the Marquette Interchange. The station was primarily funded and is maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
.
It is proposed that the Hiawatha Service, along with the Empire Builder
would shift one stop north to North Glenview
in Glenview
, Illinois. This move would eliminate lengthy stops which block traffic on Glenview Road. This move would involve reconstruction of the North Glenview station to handle the additional traffic, and depends on commitments from Glenview, the Illinois General Assembly
and Metra.
–Minneapolis/St. Paul corridor was allocated $823 million. $810 million of that was to support extending Amtrak services to Madison, while $12 million would have been used to upgrade the line between Chicago and Milwaukee, and an additional $600,000 was granted to study future alignments to the Twin Cities.
The Madison extension was initially planned to include stops in Brookfield
, Oconomowoc
, and Watertown
, but Oconomowoc and Brookfield were reluctant to move forward with station planning due to cost concerns. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation
(WisDOT) dropped Oconomowoc from the planned route in August 2010, and Brookfield was waiting to see the outcome of elections in November before making a decision on whether to build a station. The nearby cities of Hartland
and Wauwatosa
had expressed interest in hosting stations. The extension was expected to begin service by 2013.
The project became a political issue in the 2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
. Republican
candidate Scott Walker
promised he would stop the project and return the money the state received if elected. When asked whether it would be realistic to stop work, Governor Doyle expressed pessimism and said in part:
At the end of October 2010, Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle
and the federal government signed an agreement that bound the state to spend the federal funds granted to construct the route, regardless of the results of the 2010 gubernatorial election. On 4 November, two days after Scott Walker won the gubernatorial election, however, Doyle ordered work on the line to be temporarily halted, and on 9 November said that he planned to leave the choice of whether or not to operate the train to Walker.
On December 9, 2010, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that much of the $810 million that Wisconsin was supposed to get would be redistributed to other states, including California, Florida and Washington. According to Wisconsin Governor-elect Scott Walker, LaHood said Wisconsin would not have to pay the federal government back for money already spent. In addition, Wisconsin would get to retain $2 million to fund upgrades on Amtrak's existing Milwaukee-to-Chicago Hiawatha line.
whose local stopping patterns were restricted. The Abraham Lincoln and Prairie State were Chicago-St. Louis services which Amtrak extended through Chicago to the north in the early 1970s
.
locomotive on the northward end end, an EMD F40PH
"cabbage car
" on the southward end, and six coaches, consisitng of four Horizon Fleet coaches and an Amfleet
coach on each end that serve as "quiet" cars. Since 2008, cabbage car 90230, wearing colors of the Cascades
service in the Pacific Northwest
, has often seen use on the Hiawatha.
On July 17, 2009, the State of Wisconsin announced it will purchase two new train sets from Spanish manufacturer Talgo
in preparation for the enhanced-speed service that received funding in early 2010. Talgo is building a manufacturing plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
to construct the trainsets for the Hiawatha Service, and the company hopes the plant will also build trains for future high-speed lines in the region. The unpowered tilting
trainsets will be 14 cars long including a cab car, eleven coaches (five of which will have restrooms), one bistro car, and one end car including a bicycle
rack. The cars will sport a red-and-white livery in homage to the University of Wisconsin
. It is likely that the trains will initially be pulled by the same GE Genesis locomotives used today, which have a top speed of 110 mph.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
on the western shore of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, although the name was historically applied to several different routes that extended across the Midwest and out to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. As of 2007, fourteen trains (seven round-trips, six on Sunday) run daily between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, making intermediate stops in Glenview, Illinois
Glenview, Cook County, Illinois
Glenview is a suburban village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 41,847...
, Sturtevant, Wisconsin
Sturtevant, Wisconsin
Sturtevant is a village in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 6599 at the 2009 census.Sturtevant celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2007.-Geography:Sturtevant is located at ....
, and General Mitchell International Airport
General Mitchell International Airport
General Mitchell International Airport is a county-owned public airport located five miles south of the central business district of Milwaukee, a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States....
. The line is partially supported by funds from the state governments of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The service carried 783,060 riders in fiscal year 2010, a 6.1% increase from FY 2009's total of 738,231 passengers. Revenue during FY 2010 totaled $14,092,803, a 6% increase from FY 2009's $13,300,511 total revenue. It is Amtrak's ninth-busiest route, and the railroad's busiest line in the Midwest. Ridership per mile is also very high, exceeded only by the Northeast Regional and the Capitol Corridor
Capitol Corridor
The Capitol Corridor is a 168-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in California. Because it is fully supported by the state, the Capitol Corridor operates under Amtrak California. It runs from the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, roughly parallel to Interstate 80...
. A one-way trip between Milwaukee and Chicago takes about 90 minutes.
Milwaukee Road
Historically, the Hiawathas were operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific RailroadChicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
(also known as the "Milwaukee Road") and initially traveled from Chicago to the Twin Cities in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The first Hiawatha
Hiawatha (passenger train)
The Hiawathas were named passenger trains operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , and traveled from Chicago to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The original train takes its name from The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
trains ran in 1935. By 1946, there were actually four routes carrying the Hiawatha name, Chicago–Minneapolis; Chicago–Omaha; Chicago–Wausau–Minocqua; and Chicago-Minneapolis-Seattle.
The Hiawathas were among the world's fastest trains in the 1930s and 1940s and reached some of their peak speeds on this stretch, directly competing with trains from the Chicago and North Western Railway
Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...
which ran on roughly parallel tracks. 90-minute non-stop service between Chicago and Milwaukee was first introduced in the mid-1930s, and this later fell to 75 minutes for several years. A self-imposed 100 miles per hour (160.9 km/h) speed limit was routinely exceeded by locomotive engineers, until the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
rules imposed a stricter limit
Speed limits in the United States (rail)
Rail speed limits in the United States are regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration. Railroads also implement their own limits and enforce speed limits. Speed restrictions are based on a number of factors including curvature, signaling, track condition, the physical condition of a train,...
of 90 mph (144.8 km/h) in the early 1950s, and the train slowed to a schedule of 80 minutes, though with the addition of the Glenview stop. Ultimately, the speed limit fell to 79 mph (127.1 km/h) in 1968 because of signaling changes and the schedule went back to 90 minutes end-to-end.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, which assumed control of most intercity passenger rail service in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on May 1, 1971, the Hiawatha name survived in two forms. The first was a Chicago–Milwaukee–Minneapolis service, known simply as the Hiawatha. This would be renamed the Twin Cities Hiawatha
Twin Cities Hiawatha
The Twin Cities Hiawatha was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , and traveled from Chicago to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The original train takes its name from the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
, then extended to Seattle and renamed the North Coast Hiawatha. This service ended in 1979.
The second was a Chicago–Milwaukee corridor known as the Hiawatha Service (as opposed to Hiawatha). Although Amtrak had retained Chicago–Milwaukee service during the transition, it did not name these trains until October 29, 1972. At this time both Hiawatha and Hiawatha Service could be found on the same timetable. On June 15, 1976, Amtrak introduced Turboliner
Turboliner
The Amtrak Turboliners are gas turbine trainsets built for Amtrak. The trains were powered by gas turbine engines and ran on diesel fuel. Some were equipped with third rail shoes to enable entry into the underground tunnels approaching Grand Central Terminal and New York Penn Station in New York...
s to the route and the name Hiawatha Service left the timetable, not to return until 1989. The Chicago–Milwaukee trains were known simply as "Turboliners" (as were comparable trains on the Chicago–Detroit and Chicago – St. Louis corridors) until October 26, 1980, when Amtrak introduced individual names for each of the trains. This practice ended on October 29, 1989, when the name Hiawatha Service returned as an umbrella term for all Chicago–Milwaukee service.
In 2005, another station opened on the line, the Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station at General Mitchell International Airport
General Mitchell International Airport
General Mitchell International Airport is a county-owned public airport located five miles south of the central business district of Milwaukee, a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States....
. The expansion was intended to facilitate transfer to and from the airport, as well (shuttles run between the station and the main terminal), giving residents on the south side of Milwaukee easier access to the service, along with an alternative to the central station in downtown, which is now fully accessible owing to the completion of the Marquette Interchange. The station was primarily funded and is maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, abbreviated as WisDOT, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways...
.
It is proposed that the Hiawatha Service, along with the Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
would shift one stop north to North Glenview
North Glenview (Metra)
North Glenview Station is one of two commuter railroad stations on Metra's Milwaukee District/North Line in Glenview, Illinois. The station is located at 3000 Old Willow Road, is away from Union Station, the southern terminus of the line, and serves commuters between Union Station and Fox Lake,...
in Glenview
Glenview, Cook County, Illinois
Glenview is a suburban village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 41,847...
, Illinois. This move would eliminate lengthy stops which block traffic on Glenview Road. This move would involve reconstruction of the North Glenview station to handle the additional traffic, and depends on commitments from Glenview, the Illinois General Assembly
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Illinois has 59 legislative districts, with two...
and Metra.
Future expansion
In 2009, Wisconsin applied for funding from an $8 billion pool allocated for rail projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the Chicago–Milwaukee–MadisonMadison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
–Minneapolis/St. Paul corridor was allocated $823 million. $810 million of that was to support extending Amtrak services to Madison, while $12 million would have been used to upgrade the line between Chicago and Milwaukee, and an additional $600,000 was granted to study future alignments to the Twin Cities.
The Madison extension was initially planned to include stops in Brookfield
Brookfield, Wisconsin
Brookfield is a city located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It had a population of 37,920 in the 2010 census. Brookfield is the second largest city in Waukesha County, and the leading commercial suburb of Milwaukee. The City of Brookfield was formed in 1954 from the Town of...
, Oconomowoc
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
Oconomowoc is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The name was derived from Coo-no-mo-wauk, the Potawatomi term for "waterfall." The population was 12,382 at the 2000 census. The city is partially adjacent to the Town of Oconomowoc and near the Village of Oconomowoc...
, and Watertown
Watertown, Wisconsin
Watertown is a city in Dodge and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Most of the city's population is in Jefferson County. Division Street, several blocks north of downtown, marks the county line. The population of Watertown was 21,598 at the 2000 census...
, but Oconomowoc and Brookfield were reluctant to move forward with station planning due to cost concerns. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, abbreviated as WisDOT, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways...
(WisDOT) dropped Oconomowoc from the planned route in August 2010, and Brookfield was waiting to see the outcome of elections in November before making a decision on whether to build a station. The nearby cities of Hartland
Hartland, Wisconsin
Hartland is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, along the Bark River, and is a suburb of Milwaukee. The population was estimated at 8,689 in 2006.-Geography:Hartland is located at...
and Wauwatosa
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Wauwatosa is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States, and was incorporated on May 27, 1897. As of the 2006 census estimate, the city's population was 44,798. Wauwatosa is located immediately west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is a part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area...
had expressed interest in hosting stations. The extension was expected to begin service by 2013.
The project became a political issue in the 2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin...
. Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate Scott Walker
Scott Walker (politician)
Scott Kevin Walker is an American Republican politician who began serving as the 45th Governor of Wisconsin on January 3, 2011, after defeating Democratic candidate Tom Barrett, 52 percent to 47 percent in the November 2010 general election...
promised he would stop the project and return the money the state received if elected. When asked whether it would be realistic to stop work, Governor Doyle expressed pessimism and said in part:
At the end of October 2010, Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle
Jim Doyle
James Edward "Jim" Doyle is a Wisconsin politician and member of the Democratic Party. He was the 44th Governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. He defeated incumbent Governor Scott McCallum by a margin of 45 percent to 41 percent; the Libertarian Party candidate Ed...
and the federal government signed an agreement that bound the state to spend the federal funds granted to construct the route, regardless of the results of the 2010 gubernatorial election. On 4 November, two days after Scott Walker won the gubernatorial election, however, Doyle ordered work on the line to be temporarily halted, and on 9 November said that he planned to leave the choice of whether or not to operate the train to Walker.
On December 9, 2010, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that much of the $810 million that Wisconsin was supposed to get would be redistributed to other states, including California, Florida and Washington. According to Wisconsin Governor-elect Scott Walker, LaHood said Wisconsin would not have to pay the federal government back for money already spent. In addition, Wisconsin would get to retain $2 million to fund upgrades on Amtrak's existing Milwaukee-to-Chicago Hiawatha line.
Corridor names
This table shows the names given to trains which operated over the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor under Amtrak. It excludes long-distance trains such as the Empire Builder and North Coast HiawathaNorth coast hiawatha (Amtrak)
The North Coast Hiawatha was a United States passenger train service operated by Amtrak between Chicago, Illinois and Seattle, Washington. Before the coming of Amtrak the Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited and Mainstreeter served the route. The name combined the North Coast Limited and the...
whose local stopping patterns were restricted. The Abraham Lincoln and Prairie State were Chicago-St. Louis services which Amtrak extended through Chicago to the north in the early 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
.
| 1971-11-14 | 1972-10-29 | 1973-10-28 | 1975-11-30 | 1976-06-15 | 1980-10-26 | 1984-10-28 | 1985-04-28 | 1989-10-29 | Present |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln | |||||||||
| Prairie State | |||||||||
| Hiawatha Service | |||||||||
| Turboliner Turboliner The Amtrak Turboliners are gas turbine trainsets built for Amtrak. The trains were powered by gas turbine engines and ran on diesel fuel. Some were equipped with third rail shoes to enable entry into the underground tunnels approaching Grand Central Terminal and New York Penn Station in New York... |
|||||||||
| LaSalle | |||||||||
| Marquette | |||||||||
| Nicollet | |||||||||
| Radisson | |||||||||
| Badger | |||||||||
| Encore | |||||||||
| Hiawatha Service | |||||||||
Trains in use
As of 2009, the usual Hiawatha train set consists of one GE GenesisGE Genesis
GE Genesis is a series of passenger locomotives produced by GE Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of General Electric...
locomotive on the northward end end, an EMD F40PH
EMD F40PH
-Amtrak NPCU Conversions:In later years, as Amtrak's F40PH fleet was being replaced by the newer GE Genesis-series locomotives, Amtrak converted a number of the retired units—generally ones with major mechanical problems limiting their value in the resale or lease marketplace—into "Non-Power...
"cabbage car
Control car (rail)
A control car is a generic term for a non-powered railroad vehicle that can control operation of a train from the end opposite to the position of the locomotive...
" on the southward end, and six coaches, consisitng of four Horizon Fleet coaches and an Amfleet
Amfleet
Amfleet is a series of intercity railroad passenger cars built for the operator Amtrak by the manufacturer Budd Company in two series during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, Amfleet cars are used extensively throughout the Amtrak system outside the western United States...
coach on each end that serve as "quiet" cars. Since 2008, cabbage car 90230, wearing colors of the Cascades
Amtrak Cascades
The Amtrak Cascades is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in partnership with the states of Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and the province of British Columbia in Canada...
service in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, has often seen use on the Hiawatha.
On July 17, 2009, the State of Wisconsin announced it will purchase two new train sets from Spanish manufacturer Talgo
Talgo
Talgo is a Spanish manufacturer of railway vehicles. It is best known for a design of articulated railway passenger cars in which the wheels are mounted in pairs, but not joined by an axle, and being between rather than underneath the individual coaches...
in preparation for the enhanced-speed service that received funding in early 2010. Talgo is building a manufacturing plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
to construct the trainsets for the Hiawatha Service, and the company hopes the plant will also build trains for future high-speed lines in the region. The unpowered tilting
Tilting train
A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide about or seated passengers to feel squashed by the outboard armrest due to...
trainsets will be 14 cars long including a cab car, eleven coaches (five of which will have restrooms), one bistro car, and one end car including a bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
rack. The cars will sport a red-and-white livery in homage to the University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. It is likely that the trains will initially be pulled by the same GE Genesis locomotives used today, which have a top speed of 110 mph.
Station stops
| State | Town/City | Station | Connections |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
Chicago Union Station Union Station (Chicago) Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams... |
Amtrak Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union... : Blue Water, Capitol Limited, Cardinal, Carl Sandburg Carl Sandburg (Amtrak) The Carl Sandburg is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. This train began operation on October 30, 2006 and is an addition to the existing Illinois Service rail network created in 1971 and partially funded by the Illinois Department of... , California Zephyr California Zephyr The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California... , City of New Orleans City of New Orleans The City of New Orleans is a nightly passenger train operated by Amtrak which travels between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana. Before Amtrak's formation in 1971, the train was operated by the Illinois Central Railroad along the same route . The train currently operates on a 19½ hour... , Empire Builder Empire Builder The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before... , Hoosier State, Illini Illini (Amtrak) The Illini is a 310-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation and by local governments along the route... , Illinois Zephyr Illinois Zephyr The Illinois Zephyr is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation... , Lake Shore Limited Lake Shore Limited The Lake Shore Limited is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. The train runs between Chicago and Albany, NY, where it divides into two sections that provide thru-service to New York and Boston... , Lincoln Service, Pere Marquette, Saluki Saluki (Amtrak) The Saluki is a 310-mile passenger train line operated by Amtrak running between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation... , Southwest Chief Southwest Chief The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California... , Texas Eagle Texas Eagle The Texas Eagle is a 1306-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the central and western United States. Trains run daily between Chicago, Illinois, and San Antonio, Texas, and continue to Los Angeles, California, 2728 miles total, three days a week... , Wolverine, Thruway Motorcoach CTA Buses: 1, 7, 14, 19, 20, X20, X28, 56, 60, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 128, 129, 130, 151, 156, 157, 192 Megabus: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7 Metra Metra Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by... : North Central Service North Central Service The North Central Service is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs. While Metra does not specifically refer to any of its lines by a particular color, the timetable accents for the North Central Service line are printed in light "Soo... , Milwaukee District/North Line Milwaukee District/North Line The Milwaukee District/North is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs... , Milwaukee District/West Line Milwaukee District/West Line The Milwaukee District/West is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs... , BNSF Railway Line BNSF Railway Line The BNSF Railway Line is a commuter rail line in the United States, provided by Metra and operated by the BNSF Railway in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs... , Heritage Corridor Heritage Corridor The Heritage Corridor Line is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs. While Metra does not specifically refer to any of its lines by a particular color, the timetable accents for the Heritage Corridor line are printed in dark "Alton... , SouthWest Service SouthWest Service The SouthWest Service is an American commuter rail line owned and operated by Metra, running southwest from Union Station in downtown Chicago, Illinois, to Manhattan, Illinois... |
| Glenview Glenview, Cook County, Illinois Glenview is a suburban village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 41,847... |
Glenview Railroad Station | Amtrak Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union... : Empire Builder Empire Builder The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before... Metra Metra Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by... : Milwaukee District/North Line Milwaukee District/North Line The Milwaukee District/North is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs... PACE Pace (transit) Pace is the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was created in 1983 by the RTA Act, which established the formula that provides funding to CTA, Metra and Pace. In 2010, Pace had 35.077 million riders. Pace's headquarters are in... : 210, 422, 423 |
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| Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... |
Sturtevant Sturtevant, Wisconsin Sturtevant is a village in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 6599 at the 2009 census.Sturtevant celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2007.-Geography:Sturtevant is located at .... |
Sturtevant Amtrak Station Sturtevant (Amtrak station) Sturtevant is an Amtrak railway station which opened for service on August 14, 2006. It is located at 9900 East Exploration Court, as part of the Renaissance Business Park in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, United States... |
BUS Belle Urban System The Belle Urban System is a public transit agency in Racine, Wisconsin. The Belle referring to Racine's nickname "The Belle City".... : 7, 27 |
| Milwaukee | Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station | Airport shuttle to General Mitchell International Airport General Mitchell International Airport General Mitchell International Airport is a county-owned public airport located five miles south of the central business district of Milwaukee, a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States.... |
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| Milwaukee Intermodal Station Milwaukee Intermodal Station Milwaukee Intermodal Station is a train and bus station in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin served by Amtrak and several intercity motorcoach operators, including Coach USA, Greyhound Lines, Jefferson Lines, Indian Trails, and Lamers. Megabus stops on Fifth Street near the station... |
Amtrak Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union... : Empire Builder Empire Builder The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before... Coach USA Coach USA Coach USA LLC is a holding company for various American transportation service providers providing scheduled intercity bus service, local and commuter bus transit, city sightseeing, tour, yellow school bus, and charter bus service... : Wisconsin Coach Lines Wisconsin Coach Lines Wisconsin Coach Lines is a commuter bus service, intercity carrier, and school bus company based in Waukesha, Wisconsin. WCL, founded in 1941 as Waukesha Transit Lines, is a subsidiary of Coach USA.- Overview :... Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and... Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines is a regional intercity bus company operating in United States. The company's name originates in the Jefferson Highway, a north-south route in the early National Auto Trail system which once ran from Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, south to New Orleans, Louisiana. The service to... Indian Trails Indian Trails Indian Trails is an inter-city bus company based in Owosso, Michigan.- History :Indian Trails was founded in 1910 in Owosso as the Phillips-Taylor Livery Service, whose main business was transporting cargo to and from Durand Union Station and the surrounding Shiawassee County... MCTS Milwaukee County Transit System The Milwaukee County Transit System is the largest transit agency in Wisconsin, and is the primary transit provider for Milwaukee county. It ranks among the top 50 transit agencies in the United States... : 57 |
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