Dave Zweifel's Plain Talk: Good news at last for passenger rail

Dave Zweifel  —  10/20/2008 9:16 am

Will passenger trains be stopping in Madison within the next three years?

That's what The Capital Times reported earlier this month now that Congress has finally given its blessing to fund for the first time rail corridor improvements across the nation. President Bush is expected to sign the bill, albeit reluctantly. If and when he does, some $3.4 billion in funding grants will be available to help states build and improve rail beds.

Wisconsin should be near the front of the line for a grant because the state has long been advocating for a Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison-Minneapolis passenger rail link. Tommy Thompson began the campaign when he was governor and current Gov. Jim Doyle actually secured some state money to help pay for it.

Actually, most of the rail beds are already in place because Amtrak's Empire Builder, which travels from Chicago to Seattle, already traverses Wisconsin from Milwaukee to the Twin Cities.

While that route would need some upgrading to accommodate 110 mile-an-hour trains, the costs would be minor. The biggest expense would be rebuilding the tracks between Watertown and Madison, which have been left to decay unused over the years.

The three-year prediction for passenger rail here came from none other than the state's secretary of transportation, Frank Busalacchi, a longtime advocate for passenger rail as an alternative to our clogged highways and gridlocked air travel.

Congress took its unprecedented step to send more money Amtrak's way the same day it passed the $700 billion bailout for Wall Street earlier this month. Significantly higher energy costs and the need to reduce the pollution that comes from automobiles finally convinced the lawmakers to see the light.

Interestingly, Republican presidential candidate John McCain was one of a handful of senators to oppose the Amtrak bill. He has long been an opponent of Amtrak and rail transportation.

Passenger rail here would be a godsend for thousands of people who frequently travel to Milwaukee and Chicago on business. Because the Amtrak tracks run just a few hundred yards from Miller Park, rail could also transport local Brewer fans to and from games if the train schedules are done right during the baseball season.

And, of course, the service could be linked with public transportation in Madison and Dane County. A Middleton to Sun Prairie commuter rail link through downtown Madison could be connected to an Amtrak station on the east side of town, for example.

We'll all know more about the future of passenger rail in the weeks and months ahead.

But it looks as though passenger rail has finally made the first hurdle. There are a lot more to leap, for sure. But this long-needed service could soon -- three years? -- become reality.

Dave Zweifel is editor emeritus of The Capital Times.

Dave Zweifel  —  10/20/2008 9:16 am