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-- and have more trains to travel | |
(For the latest information, click here.) HIGH-SPEED RAIL INTEREST IS GROWING IN MINNESOTA according to this Dec. 5, 2008, account in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. CHICAGO-MILWAUKEE-MADISON SERVICE: WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? An official of the Wisconsin Transportation Department briefed about 35 passenger rail advocates Oct. 25, 2008, in Madison on the next steps for service to Madison and between Milwaukee and Chicago as a result of federal legislation passed by Congress Oct. 1. The meeting was held at the Rodeway Inn, 4916 E. Broadway. Read the report and see the video from the meeting here as aired by Madison's NBC station. The Congress approved and sent to the President a five-year Amtrak reauthorization bill that, among other provisions, created a grants program for use by states wanting to expand passenger rail service. Topics covered at the meeting included updates on engineering and construction of proposed Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison rail service and track improvements for the Madison-Portage track for eventual extension of service from Madison to the Twin Cities. "This is the first time in history that an emerging mode of transportation is one that already exists." -- Amtrak's then-President and CEO Alex Kummant Oct. 10, 2008, on the growing public support of and demand for more passenger trains. "EMPIRE BUILDER" ROUTE MAYORS WANT MORE AMTRAK SERVICE. Several western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota mayors along Amtrak's Empire Builder route are banding together to press for more Amtrak service. Details here. READ THE TOP 10 REASONS to travel by passenger trains here. AMTRAK CONSIDERS THESE 12 ROUTES THE MOST SCENIC. See if you agree here. AMTRAK RIDERSHIP FOR THE YEAR ENDING SEPT. 30 JUMPED 11% from a year earlier, while total ticket revenue was up 14% in the same period. It was the sixth straight year of ridership and revenue growth. Ridership totalled 28.7 million passengers and ticket revenue $1.7 billion. (Click here for Amtrak ridership for Wisconsin.) AMTRAK HAS UNVEILED NEW, EXPANDED DINING CAR MENUS. The National Association of Railroad Passengers provides extensive details in an Oct. 7 blog post here. The Gadling travel blog offers its own menu comments here. View the new national menu here. AMTRAK CUSTOMERS NOW CAN BOOK not only rail tickets but also hotels, cars, and entertainment, all in one online transaction. Click here for more details. For news posted earlier, click here. |
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