WI DOT Awarded $25.7 Million in Grant Money

The WI DOT has received
word that they will receive $25 million under the Federal-State Partnership For
State of Good Repair Grant money. That announcement coming from the Federal
Railroad Administration with the money being used to acquire new passenger rail
cars for use on the Amtrak Hiawatha service. WisDOT will purchase three
cab-coach cars and six coach cars with the grant, replacing equipment that is
nearing the end of its life and too costly to maintain. The new passenger cars
will expand the train’s seating capacity, which comes at a key time as the Amtrak
Hiawatha is the busiest train in the Midwest and ninth busiest in the nation,
serving almost 860,000 passengers in 2018. Ridership is up six percent in the
first six months of 2019. In addition to expanding capacity the new cars will
reduce fuel consumption, reduce overhaul costs, increase equipment reliability
and improve accessibility for passengers with disabilities.