Citywide project · State and federal passenger trains
Amtrak Expansion
Seven round trips a day to Chicago. Plans for 10, plus trains to Madison.
The project as a whole
Under construction now.
Latest
The map
Map key
Amtrak Expansion
- Borealis and Empire Builder (Chicago to St. Paul and beyond)
- The Hiawatha (Chicago to Milwaukee)
- Hiawatha stations
- Other Wisconsin train stations (Borealis and Empire Builder)
- Alder district borders
Purple is the Hiawatha, from Chicago Union Station to the Milwaukee Intermodal Station downtown. Orange is the route the Borealis and Empire Builder take, through Milwaukee and on to St. Paul. Dots are stations. The planned trains to Madison are not drawn yet. Tap any line to see that spot in Google Street View.
By the numbers
7 of 10 daily round trips to Chicago, toward WisDOT's goal. Six on Sundays.
The story
Amtrak's Hiawatha trains run between Milwaukee and Chicago seven times a day in each direction, with stops at the Milwaukee Airport station and in Sturtevant and Glenview. Riders took about 873,000 trips in 2019, the record. After falling during the pandemic, ridership was back to about 665,000 in 2024.
WisDOT wants to grow to 10 round trips a day. Two projects stand in the way. At the Airport station, trains can only board on one side, which blocks freight trains, so a second platform with elevators and a walkway bridge is being built for about $23.5 million. In Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley, passenger trains have to squeeze through Muskego Yard, a busy freight yard. A $72.8 million federal grant will help pay for a bypass there. WisDOT expects construction around 2028.
A separate project, Hiawatha West, would extend some trains past Milwaukee to Madison, with stops in Pewaukee and Watertown. In October 2026 the federal government awarded $218 million for it, and the City of Madison says service could start as soon as 2030.
Timeline
- 2017 · DoneFederal grant for Airport station platform
- 2023 to 2026 · UnderwaySecond platform at Airport station
- 2024 · DoneBorealis adds a daily train to St. Paul
- 2024 · Done$72.8 million grant for Muskego Yard bypass
- Expected 2028 · PlannedMuskego Yard bypass construction
- As soon as 2030 · PlannedTrains to Madison
- Years
- 2017 to about 2030
The money
- $72.8 million: Muskego Yard bypass in the Menomonee ValleyPaid by: federal grant. Source, October 31, 2024 ↗
- about $23.5 million (total cost): Second platform, elevators, and walkway bridge at the Milwaukee Airport stationPaid by: mix not published. Source, June 25, 2026 ↗
- $218 million: Hiawatha West extension to Madison (Pewaukee, Watertown stops)Paid by: federal grant; the state pays 20 percent. Source, October 2026 ↗
WisDOT's Muskego Yard page still says it is securing money for final design and construction, with construction expected in 2028. The airport station cost comes from a news report (The Daily Reporter), and the Madison figure comes from the City of Madison.
Designs, renderings, and plans
What it could look like, from the agencies’ own drawings, renderings, and meeting boards. Each link opens their file.
- MapMuskego Yard bypass project map A map of the planned passenger bypass track around the Muskego freight yard in the Menomonee Valley.WisDOT
- Meeting boardsMuskego Yard bypass presentation (slides) Public meeting slides explaining why the bypass is needed and where the new track would go.WisDOT, July 16, 2020 (from file name)
- Project pageMuskego Yard bypass presentation (video) A narrated video version of the public presentation.WisDOT, 2020
- Project pageWisDOT Muskego Yard project page Project status and schedule, with links to the map and presentation.WisDOT, Checked November 4, 2026
In the news
Recent stories from local news sites, public radio and TV, and advocacy groups (labeled), found through Google News and updated every morning. Headlines link to the outlet.
Who decides, and how to have a say
The Wisconsin and Illinois departments of transportation pay Amtrak to run the Hiawatha. Wisconsin pays 75 percent of the operating cost and Illinois 25 percent. The freight railroad CPKC owns much of the track. The Federal Railroad Administration gives the grants that pay for most big upgrades.
Sources, checked October 31, 2026: Amtrak, Hiawatha (trips per day); WisDOT, Chicago-Milwaukee corridor facts (cost split, 10 planned trips); WisDOT news release, October 31, 2024 (Muskego Yard grant, up to 10 trips); WisDOT, Muskego Yard project (schedule); WisDOT, Milwaukee Airport Rail Station project; Daily Reporter, June 25, 2026 (Airport station cost); City of Madison, October 16, 2026 (Madison extension grant); Badger Institute, February 6, 2025 (ridership by year, from Amtrak reports); WisDOT, Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago (Borealis); map: Amtrak routes and stations from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics National Transportation Atlas Database. Street View imagery © Google.