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National Train Day event set Saturday for Columbus Four other Wisconsin cities have own events 5/07/2009

Train Day Web site

ADVISORY: For the latest on fast-moving Amtrak developments, check us out on Twitter at twitter.com/railmatters. Also check the National Association of Railroad Passengers Web site and look for the Hotline link. Also read below for information about ProRail Travel and Prorail Action alerts.

UPDATE 5-28-09: University of Wisconsin students rallied for rail in Portage and Wisconsin Dells Wednesday as part of a tour along planned high-speed rail route in the state. More.

FIVE WISCONSIN COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING COLUMBUS, will be hosting their own events Saturday as part of National Train Day 2009.

Now in its second year, National Train Day is being celebrated in dozens of other communities around the U.S. Major events also are scheduled for Chicago, Philadelphia,Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

Here's the list of Wisconsin events:

Columbus Amtrak Columbus, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 359 N Ludington. Stop by the Columbus Station and help observe National Train Day with free cake and coffee provided by Julie's Java House as well as mini hot dogs, chips, soda and other items available for purchase, drawings for free round-trip tickets to Minneapolis/St. Paul, posters, and door prizes, as well as conductor hats for the kids.

La Crosse Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers. 10 a.m.-12 Noon. Drop in at Amtrak depot. Brochures, timetables, other environmental displays. Posters, safety information, videos. Free treats including cake, ice cream, soda pop and coffee.

Sturtevant Western Union Junction RR Club & Museum, 10 a.m.-3:00 p.m. 2811 Wisconsin St. Railroad Museum open & free to the public. Tour a Vintage Milwaukee Road Bay Window Caboose and see other vintage Railroad equipment. Open Saturday May 9 10 a.m.to 3 p.m. and Sunday May 10th 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Milwaukee Radio Remote, 12 Noon-2 p.m. Intermodal station, 433 West St. Paul Ave. There will be a live radio remote and giveaway items to celebrate National Train Day.

This event will be held one day earlier:

Marinette University of Wisconsin-Marinette 12 noon 1 p.m. Friday, May 8. 750 Bay Shore Street. A powerpoint presentation entitled "Travel by Rail: What getting out of the car can offer you" will be made on the Amtrak System. The environmental, energy conservation and safety advantages will be stressed as the Midwest Rail Initiative moves forward.

"This year the celebration of everything train will be bigger and better," according to Amtrak. More details are at the event's Web site.

PRORAIL NOW IS ON TWITTER! For the absolute latest information from ProRail about passenger rail developments, particularly in the upper Midwest, check us out on Twitter at twitter.com/RailMatters. You don't need a Twitter account to view our posts. On Twitter already? Be sure to "follow" us and have our posts delivered immediately to your Twitter page.

LEARN MORE ABOUT REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORIGIES and why RTAs are a good idea for Wisconsin. More

VISITING MADISON? Check out the Twitter page of the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau for ideas, deals, etc. (Within 3 years you should be able to arrive by TRAIN!)

CHECK OUT AMTRAK'S NEW "ENJOY THE JOURNEY" TV AD now airing in selected U.S. cities. (Allow time for viewer to load.)

PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE BEING SOUGHT by the Wisconsin Transportation Department on the state's draft long-range transportation plan. Public meetings on the plan were held between Jan. 7 and Feb. 26 in 10 cities. See our original announcement here

A MADISON-PORTAGE WEEKDAY SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE may begin this spring. Portage has an Amtrak station. More

COACH USA/VAN GALDER HAS ADDED A SIXTH daily roundtrip run between Madison and Chicago Union Station. More

MADISON COULD JOIN THE NATIONAL PASSENGER RAIL SYSTEM BY LATE 2012, according to Wisconsin's Transportation Secretary Oct. 9. More.

ORDER YOUR 2009 AMTRAK WALL CALENDAR NOW. Full details with calendar reproduction here.

ROUTE SPOTLIGHTS: READ TRIP REPORTS on selected Amtrak trains here. Newly-added: Lake Shore Limited, Silver Star and Auto Train.

PLANNING A TRAIN TRIP? If you have questions or are looking for Web links to help you plan your trip, get advice from experienced train travelers. Send an email to prorailtravel-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit ProRail Travel to sign up.

WANT TO BE ACTIVE IN GETTING MORE TRAINS? Subscribe to ProRail Action, an email message service that provides current information about passenger rail developments with emphasis on Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest. Send an email to prorailaction-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit ProRail Action to sign up.