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Rail traveler and book author to speak at Nov. 7 ProRail meeting Seating limited to 20; reservations suggested 10/30/2009

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ADVISORY: For the latest on fast-moving Amtrak and other passenger rail developments 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.

PRORAIL'S NEXT GENERAL MEETING has been set for Saturday, Nov. 7, with rail traveler, journalist and book author Mary Bergin speaking on "Public Transport: An Average But Avid Traveler's Observations."

Bergin has written "Sidetracked in Wisconsin" and "Hungry for Wisconsin: A Tasty Guide for Travelers." Mary Bergin Bio * Bergin's Midwest Features Syndicate

The breakfast meeting begins at 8 a.m. at the lower level of the Sofra Family Bistro at 7457 Elmwood Ave. in downtown Middleton. Order off the menu. Seating is limited to 20. If you plan to attend, email us or leave a message at 608-255-0418.

THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE MIDWEST REGIONAL RAIL SYSTEM IN WISCONSIN was the focus of the Fall state meeting of the Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers (WisARP) in Green Bay Oct. 24.

The featured speaker at the morning session was Ron Adams, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's railroads section chief, providing the latest updates on the Midwest Regional Rail System, funding for a Milwaukee-Madison segment on the planned Chicago-Milwaukee-Twin Cities high-speed rail route, a planned Milwaukee-Green Bay high-speed route, and the state's "Connections 2030" long-range transportation plan for the state.

An afternoon panel discussing "Bringing Passenger Rail to Northeastern Wisconsin" consisted of be Paul Linzmeyer, NEW North Sustainable Task Force chair; the NEWRails president, and Eric Fowle, East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission Executive Director,

Here's how Green Bay's WLUK-TV reported on the meeting:

PRORAIL CONTINUES TO GROW ON TWITTER! As of Oct. 15 we've posted over 650 messages in the few months our RailMatters Twitter page has been up, and subscribers now total over 175 and the number continues to grow.

For the absolute latest information from ProRail about passenger rail developments, particularly in the upper Midwest, check us out on Twitter. 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.

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NEW AMTRAK TIMETABLES for 2009 take effect Oct. 28. Order a printed national timetable showing all routes and schedules here.

LEARN MORE ABOUT REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES 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!)

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.

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