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10/31/2022
The Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation will host hearings tomorrow in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and on Wednesday in Winona, Minnesota, to solicit public comments on rail improvements needed to provide a second Amtrak daily round trip between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Chicago.
The additional Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago service would involve trains running along Amtrak's Empire Builder and Hiawatha routes.
Minnesota and Wisconsin DOT staff members and design engineers will seek public comments on the design plan improvements for work in La Crosse, and Winona and La Crescent, Minnesota. The rail improvements include upgrades to track, grade crossings, and signal and communications infrastructure.
Final design plans are slated for completion in summer 2023 with construction scheduled to run from 2024 into 2025. Service is anticipated to begin in late 2024.
"These improvements will make passenger train schedules more reliable and enhance freight train operations. Additionally, local communities will benefit from shorter delays at railroad crossings," Minnesota DOT officials said in a press release.