Federal Railroad Commission grants $31.8 million toward second train to Milwaukee and Chicago

Winona Daily News – September 24, 2020

The Federal Railroad Administration has granted $31.8 million toward capital improvements that will help make a Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago second train a reality, the Great River Rail Commission announced Wednesday. This grant comes after years of advocacy for expanded passenger rail in the Mississippi River Route.

According to a release by the commission, the award reflects the federal government’s confidence in the second train, which is expected to increase passenger service by 124,000 trips annually, create jobs and generate economic growth in the corridor and broader Minnesota.

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Amtrak reducing long-distance trains to three days a week despite promising returns

Winona Daily News – September 21, 2020

Amtrak will cut down on daily long-distance trains and transition to a tri-weekly format through southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin by mid-October, despite the fact the daily trains are the company’s current crutch for revenue.

Since March and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in numerous businesses suffering greatly, Amtrak’s ridership has fallen by 95%, according to All Aboard Minnesota and All Aboard Wisconsin. Due to this drop in ridership, the company’s projected revenue for 2021 has gone down by 50%. To remedy this, Amtrak is not only cutting the number of days it runs long-distance trains, but also cutting its workforce by 20%, which it estimates will save $213 million in costs and $500 million in cost savings.

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Feds fund $31.8 million for second Minneapolis-Chicago train

Rivertowns.net – September 25, 2020

The Great River Rail Commission announced Wednesday that the federal government has awarded a $31.8 million grant to fund capital improvements to make a second Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago train a reality. 

“This grant award reflects the confidence of the federal government in the merits of this project which is expected to increase passenger service by 124,000 trips annually, create jobs and generate significant economic growth in the corridor and the state of Minnesota," said Mark Vaughan, chairman of the GRRC. 

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