Wisconsin commits funds to purchase new passenger cars for Hiawatha service

Doesn’t say how many cars or how much per copy but does say total cost is approx $39 million with the Federal Matching Funds.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/31/wisconsin-legislators-consider-funding-new-amtraks-hiawatha-trains/4102369002/

This earlier article explains:

https://biztimes.com/wisdot-awarded-25-7-million-grant-to-buy-new-hiawatha-passenger-cars/

OK they only bought one trainset and three cab cars. I thought the price was rather on the cheap end for three trainsets. So they need to buy 12 more coaches at some point or get them from the Midwest pool.

Already included in the Midwest consortium. This is WISDOT’s contribution and allows all the old cars to be replaced. Hiawatha is one of the most successful state-subsidized corridors.

Question how long will WI have to wait for the cars to be delivered? Siemens seems to have a full order book. Didn’t Siemens even announce an expansion of its manufacturing building ? A problem may be getting enough experienced workers to fully man the assembly line ?

They haven’t decided on a manufacturer.

They said Fall of 2020 they would start taking delivery of the cars and putting them into service. I do not know if it is Siemens, though Siemens is not constricted to just the California plant to fill orders on a global railcar line such as they have built for Brightline (Viaggo?).

The fabrication facility was doubled in Sacramento and all cars for the North American market will be built there.