Wisconsin lands $218M to extend Amtrak service from Chicago to Madison

October 16, 2026

Chad Thompson

Nearly $220 million in federal funding has been secured to expand Amtrak's Hiawatha passenger rail service between Chicago and Waukesha, Jefferson and Dane counties.

According to a news release from U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Gov. Tony Evers, the Federal Railroad Administration will fund the final design and construction of the Hiawatha West Project, creating an intercity passenger service.

The project also aims to improve freight rail safety, speeds and reliability, create 200 permanent jobs and spur $46 million in annual economic benefits.

"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," Baldwin said. "For our agricultural and manufacturing businesses that use freight rail, this investment will reduce delays and give them reliability and confidence that their products are getting in the hands of customers on time."

Baldwin advocated to the Trump Administration to fund the project, citing increased tourism and economic activity along the route, reduced delays and improved reliability for Wisconsin's agricultural and manufacturing sectors, and increased safe transportation options for families and workers.

"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," Evers said.

The $218 million in federal funding comes from the Federal Railroad Administration's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program. The money will be used to rehabilitate and expand the capacity of track, bridges and crossings, and construct new intercity passenger rail stations.

The Hiawatha West Project is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and annual government funding bills.

Baldwin and Evers recently secured more than $140 million from the Federal Railroad Administration to update up to 41 passenger locomotives, which serve Amtrak's Midwest and Pacific Northwest routes, including the Milwaukee-Chicago Hiawatha route.