Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station

Last updated

Milwaukee Airport
Milwaukee Airport Rail Station.jpg
The station in August 2008
General information
Location5601 South 6th Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
United States
Coordinates 42°56′26″N87°55′29″W / 42.94056°N 87.92472°W / 42.94056; -87.92472
Owned by Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Line(s) CPKC C&M Subdivision
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsAiga bus trans.svg Shuttle to air terminal
Construction
Parking300 spaces, paid
Bicycle facilitiesOutdoor bicycle parking
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station code Amtrak: MKA
History
OpenedJanuary 18, 2005 (2005-01-18)
Rebuilt2012; 2025 (planned)
Passengers
FY 202284,621 [1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Milwaukee
toward St. Paul
Borealis Sturtevant
toward Chicago
Milwaukee
Terminus
 Hiawatha Service
      Empire Builder does not stop here
Location
Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station

Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station is an Amtrak railway station located near the western edge of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is served by the six daily round trips of the Hiawatha Service and the single daily round trip of the Borealis with a free shuttle between the station and the airport terminal. The Empire Builder also uses these tracks but does not stop. The station opened on January 18, 2005.

Contents

Service and facilities

Station interior Milwaukee Airport station interior.jpg
Station interior

The Milwaukee Airport Rail Station's primary functions are to serve as an airport rail link for Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and to serve as an alternate to the downtown Milwaukee Intermodal Station for residents of the southern portions of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. [2] The station is served only by the Amtrak Hiawatha Service, and sees fourteen daily arrivals, seven each from Milwaukee and Chicago Union Station. [3] The station is the first stop enroute to Chicago, 8 miles (13 km) from Milwaukee with a with a travel time of about 10 minutes. [3] It is also the third stop en route to downtown Milwaukee, with a travel time along the 78-mile (126 km) section taking one hour and 14 minutes. [3] In Amtrak's Fiscal Year 2022, the station handled 84,621 passengers. [1]

The 1,600-square-foot (150 m2) station includes a Quik-Trak ticket machine, restrooms, a seating area, and covered walkways to both the drive-up area and the boarding platform. [4] [5] As the station is unstaffed, all tickets from the station need to be purchased online, from the Quik-Trak machine or on the train from a conductor. Passengers needing checked baggage service are advised to use the downtown station. [6] The station parking lot contains 300 spaces and a fee is charged to park. [7] All revenue generated from parking fees is used to finance the station's operating costs. [6] Transport to and from the airport terminal is provided by the free shuttle buses operated by the airport. [6]

History

The idea of opening an Amtrak station in the vicinity of Mitchell Airport had been discussed since the mid-1970s. [8] The justification for not building the station at the time was based on infrequent Amtrak service and relatively congestion-free access to the airport from the south via I-94 and WI 119. [8] By the late 1990s, a station at the airport was proposed as part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative. [9] In June 2001, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation authorized $100,000 to start the preliminary design for the station, with an original opening slated for late-2003. [10]

How to fund construction of the station became an issue following objections from both airport and Milwaukee County officials. [11] Although supported by both airport and local officials, they stated that financing a facility to transport persons primarily away from Milwaukee should not be done with local, but rather state and federal sources. [11] As a result of this sentiment, Senator Herb Kohl requested $5 million for its construction as part of a federal transportation appropriations bill in July, [12] only to see it reduced to $2.5 million in the final bill in December. [13] With an additional $4 million in funding secured by Kohl in February 2003, [14] combined with the $2.5 million previously appropriated, construction of the $6.5 million station could commence. [15]

A Hiawatha Service train at the station in October 2010 Hiawatha Milwaukee Airport.jpg
A Hiawatha Service train at the station in October 2010

Groundbreaking for the facility occurred on June 28, 2004. [16] Included in the $6.8 million project budget were funds for the construction of the station and track improvements to reduce delays between Milwaukee and Chicago. [16] State and local economic development officials saw its construction as an opportunity for travelers from the Chicago metropolitan area to use the station as a rail link to reach Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport as an alternative for both Chicago's Midway and O'Hare airports. [15] [16] [17] The station opened for Hiawatha Service trains on January 18, 2005, as a regular stop along Amtrak's . [18] At the time of its opening, this became only the fourth Amtrak station to have direct service to an airport, after Baltimore, Newark and Burbank. [18]

The station was designed for trains carrying only four coach cars, but service was expanded to five cars by 2009, with a sixth proposed. [19] In 2010, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation was awarded $678,000 in ARRA funds to double the length of the 400-foot (120 m)-long platform. [20] [21] The work was completed in October 2012. [22] From March 21 to June 29, 2020, the Empire Builder temporarily stopped at Milwaukee Airport and Sturtevant while Hiawatha Service trains were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [23] [24]

In February 2019, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded $5 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements funds to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to add a second 800-foot-long (240 m) platform and a footbridge at the station. [25] Construction on the $17.2 million project began in June 2023, with completion expected in June 2025. [26] [2]

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The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road, was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986.

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The Empire Builder is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northern Railway and was retained by Amtrak when it took over intercity rail service in 1971.

<i>Hiawatha Service</i> Amtrak service between Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI

The Hiawatha Service, or simply Hiawatha, is an 86-mile (138 km) train route operated by Amtrak on the western shore of Lake Michigan between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, the name was historically applied to several different routes that extended across the Midwest and to the Pacific Ocean. As of 2007, twelve to fourteen trains ran daily between Chicago and Milwaukee, making intermediate stops in Glenview, Illinois; Sturtevant, Wisconsin; and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. The line is partially supported by funds from the state governments of Wisconsin and Illinois. The line utilizes the CPKC Railway's C&M Subdivision and Metra's Milwaukee District North Line.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Hub Network</span> Proposed rail lines in the Midwestern US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee District North Line</span> Commuter rail service in Illinois

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenview station</span> Train station in Glenview, Illinois, U.S.

Glenview station is a Metra commuter rail and Amtrak intercity rail station in Glenview, Illinois, United States, north of Chicago. The station is located at 1116 Depot Street, 17.5 miles (28.2 km) from Chicago Union Station, the southern terminus of the lines. The facility opened in March 1995 as a replacement for a since-demolished 1950s era station. The new station, designed by Legat Architects of Waukegan, cost approximately $3 million and was funded from a number of sources, including Metra, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Amtrak and the village of Glenview.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sturtevant station</span> Amtrak railroad station in Sturtevant, Wisconsin

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee Intermodal Station</span> Intercity station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US

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<i>Twin Cities Hiawatha</i> Former passenger train from Chicago to Minneapolis–Saint Paul

The Twin Cities Hiawatha, often just Hiawatha, was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, and traveled from Chicago to the Twin Cities. The original train takes its name from the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. There are a number of Hiawatha-themed names within the city of Minneapolis, the terminus of the original train. The first Hiawatha ran in 1935; in 1939 the Milwaukee Road introduced a second daily trip between Chicago and Minneapolis. The two trains were known as the Morning Hiawatha and Afternoon Hiawatha, or sometimes the AM Twin Cities Hiawatha and PM Twin Cities Hiawatha. The Milwaukee Road discontinued the Afternoon Hiawatha in 1970 while the Morning Hiawatha continued running until the formation of Amtrak in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watertown Subdivision</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">C&M Subdivision</span>

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Illinois High Speed Rail refers to a set of planned high speed rail lines connecting Chicago Union Station to various parts of the state and beyond. Two lines already offer increased speeds.

<i>Borealis</i> (train) Amtrak inter-city rail service

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Multiple proposals have been made for a 33-mile regional rail service connecting Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha in the state of Wisconsin, often referred to as KRM.

References

  1. 1 2 "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of Wisconsin" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Jannene, Jeramey (September 22, 2023). "Friday Photos: Airport Train Station Construction Progressing". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Amtrak (October 26, 2009), Hiawatha Service Timetable: Milwaukee – Chicago (PDF), Amtrak
  4. ↑ "Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station". Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on September 12, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Milwaukee – General Mitchell International Airport, WI (MKA)". Amtrak . Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 Sandler, Larry (January 14, 2005). "Amtrak on track to open at airport; Officials expect to lure O'Hare traffic". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 1B.
  7. ↑ "Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station". wisconsindot.gov. Wisconsin Department of Transportation . Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Sandler, Larry (March 10, 1996). "Norquist, Daley considering Mitchell-O'Hare train". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 3A.
  9. ↑ Sandler, Larry (October 21, 2000). "Thompson tours site of possible rail station". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 3B.
  10. ↑ Sandler, Larry (June 12, 2001). "Amtrak station at Mitchell advances". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 1A.
  11. 1 2 Sandler, Larry (June 13, 2001). "Funding for Amtrak stop up in air; County, airlines not interested in footing bill for airport station". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 3B.
  12. ↑ Sandler, Larry (July 13, 2001). "U.S. Senate panel backs Hoan funds; Bill would cover repairs, fund airport Amtrak, Kohl says". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 3B.
  13. ↑ Sandler, Larry (December 4, 2001). "U.S. aid for Hoan repair advances; Congressional panel sets aside $7.5 million". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 3B.
  14. ↑ Sandler, Larry (February 25, 2003). "State, federal budgets would keep railway passengers on track". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 3B.
  15. 1 2 Sandler, Larry (May 18, 2003). "DOT officials consider train service to Mitchell". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 3B.
  16. 1 2 3 Sandler, Larry (June 29, 2004). "Amtrak breaks ground for airport station". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 1D.
  17. ↑ Sandler, Larry (August 15, 2004). "Mitchell touted as alternative to O'Hare". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 2B.
  18. 1 2 Sandler, Larry (January 19, 2005). "Amtrak launches airport link". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 3B.
  19. ↑ Wisconsin Department of Transportation (August 2009), Milwaukee Airport Rail Station Platform Extension Grant, Application Number: HSR2010000142 (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2010, retrieved January 4, 2010
  20. ↑ "HSIPR Funding by Region". Federal Railroad Administration. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  21. ↑ Sperry, Benjamin R.; Morgan, Curtis A. (December 2011). Intercity Passenger Rail: Implications for Urban, Regional, and National Mobility (PDF) (Report). United States Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration. p. 23.
  22. ↑ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2012: State of Wisconsin" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2012.
  23. ↑ Johnston, Bob (March 19, 2020). "Amtrak sets more cuts in Midwest, announces first changes on West Coast". Trains Magazine. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020.
  24. ↑ "First 'Hiawatha' trains to return June 1". Trains Newswire. May 25, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  25. ↑ "FRA To Provide Nearly $57M In New CRISI Grants". AASHTO Journal. February 15, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Milwaukee Airport Rail Station Second Platform and Pedestrian Overpass Project". Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 22, 2023.

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