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Amtrak's Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee reached all-time high ridership in 2012, the ninth time the service set a ridership record in the past 10 years.

Hiawatha ridership grew to 832,500 in 2012, up from 823,163 in 2011, when ridership surpassed 800,000 for the first time, Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) officials announced yesterday in a press release.

In addition to setting an annual record last year, the Hiawatha service set monthly ridership records in January, February, March, April, June, August, September and October. The service is the busiest Amtrak corridor in the Midwest and sixth busiest in the country, WisDOT officials said.

The service provides seven round trips between Milwaukee and Chicago Monday through Saturday, and six round trips on Sunday. Trains stop at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station in downtown Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Airport Station at General Mitchell International Airport, as well as in Sturtevant, Wis., Glenview, Ill., and Chicago's Union Station.

The states of Wisconsin and Illinois operate the Hiawatha service jointly.