Amtrak to continue late-night Saturday service between Chicago, Milwaukee

Amtrak will continue to offer late-night Saturday service on its Hiawatha line between Chicago and Milwaukee until further notice, the railroad announced yesterday.

The Saturday late-evening trains have shown higher ridership during a summer trial period than the early morning trains they replaced, according to an Amtrak press release.

The schedule shows Train 343 departing from Chicago at 11:10 p.m. and Train 344 departing from Milwaukee at 10:40 p.m. on Saturdays. Those evening rides replaced Trains 329 and 330, which continue to operate on weekdays.

Amtrak has arranged for a Thruway bus service at 6 a.m. between Milwaukee and Chicago to replace the 330 train on Saturdays, officials said.

About 800,000 passengers rode the Hiawatha route last year, with intermediate stops at Glenview, Ill., Sturtevant, Wis., and Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport.

The Hiawatha trains between Milwaukee and Chicago are sponsored by the Illinois and Wisconsin departments of transportation.