Although commuter rail plans for southeastern Wisconsin are often described as a proposal to extend Chicago’s Metra trains from Kenosha to Racine and downtown Milwaukee, planners say they’re considering options for a more distinctively Badger brand of service.
One possibility is that Wisconsin commuter trains could serve Wisconsin stops and connect with Metra trains at Kenosha or just south of the border. Another idea is to use self-propelled train cars that could link up or disconnect to form trains of different sizes on different parts of the route at different times of day, with some cars staying in Illinois and others continuing into Wisconsin.
Either option would be aimed at creating a leaner, more efficient and more flexible operation with as few empty seats as possible, said Fred Patrie, chairman of the regional committee studying the commuter rail line. Boosting the rail line’s efficiency - as measured by passengers carried per mile - could not only reduce costs but also improve the chances of winning federal aid, said Patrie, the Kenosha County director of public works.
Finances are a key consideration for the commuter rail service. A previous Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission study estimated the cost of buying train cars and upgrading existing freight rail tracks at $152 million and projected operating costs at $18.6 million a year. Congress has authorized $80 million for construction, and the earlier study predicted fares would bring in $3.2 million a year.
But the line won’t move forward without local funding for the remaining costs, says Ken Yunker, deputy director of the planning commission. The new Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority is studying how to fund the rail line. Last month, at a Milwaukee Press Club Newsmaker Luncheon, commuter rail advocates Robert Mariano and Rosemary Potter said private-sector financing should be explored before taxes.
Metra itself will not provide any money for operations
I think as gas prices continue to rise more and more people will be looking for alternative means of transportation. I know the if Green Bay Wis had a better public transportation system I would defenatly considerit more strongly, as it costs me close to $400 a month just to keep my car parked in the garage right now before i even put gas in the tank.
The Danish “rubbernose” trainsets (DMUs) would be a solution to this problem. They once operated testwise to and from Las Vegas (to L.A.?) The consists can be lenghtened and shortened quite efficiently, because they had been designed for lines which includes railferries. What you definitely need is a fully automatic coupler, and m.u., of course.
All of this just proves my point that Milwaukee is about to become another Chicago suburb, just like Kenosha and Racine. [(-D] [(-D] [(-D] [(-D] [(-D] [(-D] [(-D]
Milwaukee has been kicking this idea around for ages, I doubt anything at all will come of it. My bet is that they will extend the bus system again.
As for DMUs my money is on the Colorado Rail Car design, however GO Transit is redesigning their equipment again and whenever thay do that, everyone from Vancouver to Miami seems to jump on their designs so we’ll see.
Some RDC’s often re-engined with Caterpillar diesels, seem to just soldier on forever. Stainless steel carbodies don’t rust out. Possibly some of the Boise-Budds, converted into coaches and coach-cab cars, can become self-propelled again.
But the Colorado Railcar has two advantages: (1) double deck, higher seating capacity, and (2) more powerful, can haul one or two trailers with ease, something the RDC cannot do except on level track.
Because of the large number of people moving to Kenosha from Illinois recently, it is beginning to feel like a suburb of Chicago (and this is NOT a good thing). Racine is still mostly influenced by Milwaukee, although I suppose that will change someday as well. A market research firm reported a few years ago that there are over 10,000,000 people within 75 miles of Kenosha.
Dave Gunn had suggested RDC for the Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawathas. No doubt he saw the potential for increased service frequence and more efficient operation. Of course they were down the list. The only new equipment he was able to squeeze out of the budget were yard engines and rack cars for the Auto Train. Those replaced equipment that was about two days from a pile of rust.
The irony of this is that there already is service to both Milwaukee and Kenosha by Metra (UP) and Amtrak respectively. This seems to be a reinvention of the wheel. The line most often talked to death about in this endless speculative discussion requires a major - read expensive- rehabilitation. My brother works in Chicago and takes the Southbound Kenosha line at Winthrop Harbor. He likes taking the train with the exception of it having a gazillion stops in the tightly packed stations that are spaced only afew miles apart in Chicago’s northern suburbs so much so-that it takes quite awhile to get from A to B. I think electrifying this corridor into a high speed line is long overdue and that more express trains could be run. Rather than use the UP , the former Milwaukee line which used to host some ballast scorching trains, is a better candidate.
I think in it’s present form, this sidestep is doomed to be in commitee for eternity ,much like the studied to death proposal of extending the former 80MPH Skokie Valley Route of the CNSM to Lake Cook Road.
While Metra does indeed operate an existing suburban service between Kenosha and Chicago, service between Kenosha and Milwaukee ended on April 30, 1971. Any high speed service on Metra’s North Line is out of the question since much of the area south of Waukegan is built up almost right against the tracks.
Such a service on the MILW line is quite plausible and history has shown that electrification would be an unnecessary expense (Class A’s, anybody?).
I agree that electrification is a luxury item that only provides increased acceleration. Maybe a modern day equivilent of a Class A is whats needed on the former Milwaukee http://www.utc.com/press/highlights/jettrain.htm
Much of Kenosha & Walworth counties have historically been more closely tied to Chicago than Milwaukee. The Geneva Lakes area in particular is where the upper & upper middle class from Chicago built their summer homes and both the CNW and Milwaukee ran service from Chicago to many parts of the area. In the days before cars, the really well-off would have their servants pick them up in steam powered boats. I forget the old name of the lake, but just east of that area was a resort area for middle class blacks. I’m less familiar with Milwaukee history and development, but I believe Milwaukee residents summered to the north and west of the city in places like Green Lake, Elkhart Lake.
The central and western part of Kenosha county is booming as well, but many of these people work in Chicago’s north and northwest suburbs, some commuting as far south as Schamburg. Extending Metra service on the other old C&NW and Milwaukee lines might serve these people better than trying to funnel everyone down the Kenosha line to downtown Chicago, altough I’m sure there’s a need for that too.
Express service should be operated over the current Amtrak route from Chicago to Milwaukee. One would hope that if one of the two Midwestern high-speed projects is successful, it would be implemented on this route as well, to bring Chicago-to-Milwaukee service down to about an hour’s transit time, even with the stops.
However, if the studies say that commuter service is feasible on the line to Racine and Kenosha, have at it–local stops and all. The fare will probably be cheaper than Amtrak’s, and you’ll get what you pay for. This line isn’t used by freights very much, and would make a great commuter corridor–at least until the Oak Creek power plant is expanded.
As for Chicago to Waukesha, it might be an interesting local service, but I doubt that it could stand up. How about Chicago to Milwaukee via Waukesha?
I read this topic and was curious. Anyways I can think as far back to 1992 when we have been kickin the idea of a commuter train around. Originally these proposals were very odd and never got off the ground.
The idea when we rebuild I-94 that the commuter line would run either in between 94 West and 94 East and would connect with Milwaukee and Waukesha and place in between.
1997 When we did the I-94 resurfacing project we tried 2 do commuter rail from the Amtrak station 2 Waukesha using amtrak equipment and the now abandoned West Allis line. If I remember right after two weeks, the test was abandoned because nobody used it because of the price, and limited parking.
I am a huge supporter of the Commuter rail project, and can see its advantages in Chicago. The sonner they get Commuter in downtown Milwaukee, the better (Like within a few days ~dreams~. ) the easier it will be for me 2 take a job in Northern Chicago. Then I wouldnt have 2 drive 2 Antioc and take Metra to work, or any of the other ideas I have on commuting to work.
COMMON EVERYONE LOOK DEEP INTO THOSE SOFAS, spare change in your car, anything. Lets get commuter goin here and have it connect to Antioch buy the end of the month ~another dream~.
Seriously though I really hope that this talk doesnt die out again and it becomes a reality. I think it is about time we implement commuter service from Milwaukee to Chicago and possibly Madison.
IF anything I mentioned is wrong about the past please let me know Im kind of goin off the top of my head.
I hate to be the pessimist because I don’t think it will never happen. For trains to be ridden - particularly commuter trains they need to be fast, frequent and go where the people want to go. Miss any one of the three and it won;t work. I just can not envision anyone taking a train to Milwaukee or Racine. Then jumping on a train to donwtown Chicago and then a train to the burbs where the majority of jobs are now and then a cab or bus to the final destination. that shouldn’t take more than four or five hours to complete the trip and then the same thing to get home again for probably the same cost as gas at $10.00 a gallon. No business person can live with a drop in productivity or flexibility like that. Trains are a 19th century solution to a 21st century dilemma unfortunately. We need to recognize that they are outdated technology in a just in time world of business.