Hiawatha rail service resumes June 1; more trains to be added June 29
One Amtrak Hiawatha round trip will return Monday, June 1, restoring the rail service replaced by Amtrak Thruway buses as of April 24. The Hiawatha website indicates three more round trips added as of June 29. Resuming operation on June 1 will be train No. 332, the 8:05 a.m. departure from Milwaukee, and train No. 339, the 5:08 departure from Chicago. Reservations are required. The Empire Builder will also continue to serve the Hiawatha’s stops. Returning on June 29 will be southbound trains 330 (Monday-Friday only), 338, and 342, along with northbound trains 329 (Monday-Friday only, 331, 337, and 339). Schedules for those trains are available here. As of the 29th, the Empire Builder will no longer honor Hiawatha tickets or make its additional stops at the Hiawatha stations at Milwaukee’s Mitchell Airport or in Sturtevant, Wis.
Florida county asks U.S. Supreme Court to hear Brightline case
Indian River County, Florida, is taking its legal effort to stop Virgin Trains USA’s expansion to Orlando to the U.S. Supreme Court. The TCPalm newspaper reports that the county has asked the Supreme Court to review its claim that Virgin Trains/Brightline should not be eligible for $2.7 billion of tax-exempt private activity bonds, used in part to finance construction of the route to Orlando. In doing so, it has framed the case as part of a debate about whether a federal agency can interpret the law, and whether courts should defer to that interpretation, and says the issue is “critical to the separation of powers” between agencies and the courts. The county agreed earlier this year to use $200,000 to make one last appeal of its long-running lawsuit, after a December 2019 ruling upheld the decision allowing Virgin Trains to use the bonds [see “Appeals court affirms Virgin Trains’ right to use private activity bonds,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 31, 2019.]
Amtrak buys Wilmington, Del., office building
Amtrak has bought an eight-story office building in Wilmington, Del., which will become the home of 200 employees, the Wilmington News Journal reports. The purchase price for the building, the Renaissance Centre, was not disclosed. Other tenants include the Delaware Supreme Court and Delaware State Bar Association. Amtrak spokeswoman Beth Toll said the purchase is “part of Amtrak’s long-term strategy to reduce costs by having employees work out of owned property.”
Will everybody please keep their political agenda and opinions and discussions of social issues to themselves and focus on the theme and interst of this column and magazine which is trains and railroading. The serious railfans and enthusists want to hear about and discuss our favorite subject only Yet “certain” individuals are pushing their agenda and opinion which does not refer to trains or railroading. there are plenty of other publications and forums to have a discussion on politics ad social issues. Let’s stick to our favorite hobby and pastime please Trains and railroading and the human interest stories that make up this great hobby and pastime as well as it being an escape from the problems and troubles of the real world. Leave the politics and social issues to other forums Thank you
To paraphrase Sir Paul, Amtrak’s once again gonna get Hi, Hi, Hi. Look up that Wings hit on YT.
FWIW a “Hiawatha” note: the Milwaukee Road’s Hiawathas’ (Olympian, Morning, Afternoon) last profitable year was 1952, thereafter consolidation (Olympian and Afternoon Hi’s became one train) and red ink up to Amtrak. The Milwaukee, like other roads, invested heavily in the post WW2 re-equipping of premier trains, only to see that effort based upon a false premise. The current corollary to that premise is a “profitable” Amtrak.
The trouble with the Hiawatha is that it connects a free state – Wisconsin – to a slave state – Illinois. So the Hiawatha doesn’t stand a chance. Thanks to our Wisconsin Republican legislature and no thanks to the socialist governor, Wisconsin has mostly reopened. Earlier today I had my first restaurant meal in several months, at an outdoor café overlooking CPR tracks in Elm Grove, Wisconsin. The wait staff was not wearing masks and the number of Wisconsin residents wearing masks seems to be declining. There is hope for our side of the border and none whatsoever for the state to our south. A couple I met at the café told me their daughter in Chicago isn’t even allowed to go for a walk along the lakeshore. Here is Wisconsin, the walking and bike trails are crowded with people breathing the air of freedom. Milwaukee County and City of Milwaukee (both 100% Democrat rule) are still under partial restriction but out here in all-Republican Waukesha County were are reclaiming our rights as American citizens. The shame of it is, much of the rest of America (such as Michigan and Illinois) remains under fascist rule.
What a phenomenal waste of tax payer money. If I were a resident of Indian River County, I would be looking for recalls or certainly defeat at the ballot box. Millions of dollars of tax payer money that could have been used for other issues which I am sure Indian River like every county in the US has and need to be addressed.
I wish the Hiawatha services would REALLY return … perhaps one day …
Western Ave. remains a “hotspot.” Back in the day the tower operator welcomed company.
Clayton Johanson,As for the Hiawatha, technically it’s the name of the service between Chicago and Milwaukee, not the name of the train that so long ago plied the route. Bringing any of Amtrak’s service back even in piecemeal form is better than no bringing it back at all. People want to travel, they can’t wait to travel and it’ll come back faster than people think it will.
Mr. Landey, bravo for bringing up slavery into this discussion. Only someone whose ancestors did not suffer under slavery, nor the descendants who live through its last impact would use it to describe the impact of COVID-19 on their current situation.To the staff for Trains: Shame for not moderating these better. Racist, highly politicized comments do not make Trains.com a better place to visit, it detracts from the experience. At Airliners.net the forums are heavily moderated and it creates a culture of on-topic discussion that still maintains diverse views. So was Frailey’s blog. On the other hand I dropped my Trainorders.com because the place became filled with nonsense shouting, politics, and tin-hat conspiracy theories.
Charles Landey, I wish you a happy and healthy life. it will be interesting to see what happens in the “free” state if or when the virus uses the congregated people and spreads as is it’s want. Will the ICU’s become crowded and perhaps (if you get next to an infected carrier and catch it) you won’t have the medical care needed because there were no beds available for you. Or someone you care about and catches the virus can’t get cared for. My wife and my daughter are both nurses (fortunately, neither are currently active) and the front line medical staff that are caring for those that have been infected are putting their lives on the line (with some loosing) to care for their patients. How many people need to die or suffer for your FREEDOM? Yes, I would like to go to the store (I use Instacart, Wal-mart, and relatives to supply my groceries) and the beach and all the things I used to do before the virus arrived, but I choose to SIP until it is safe. Safe as when the number of new cases fall to an low number. In the county I live in, the number of deaths has held at 358 for three days which is a good sign.
Quote from “expert” Gov. Cuomo, “Now, people can speculate. People can guess. I think next week, I think two weeks, I think a month,” Cuomo told reporters on Memorial Day. “I’m out of that business because we all failed at that business. Right? All the early national experts. Here’s my projection model. Here’s my projection model. They were all wrong. They were all wrong.” /// Something many of us figured out over a month ago. Medical Science has been replaced by Political Science. We’ll all pay when our freedoms have been taken away. I’ll continue to exercise my freedoms as I have since this started & if others choose to lock themselves in their basements, it’s their choice. Time to open things up before we lose so many fun things like RXR museums & excursions because they went bankrupt due to gov lockdown policy. Trust these businesses to make the smart decisions. Many have been doing that for decades & they don’t need the gov stepping in. These museums & businesses will do what is necessary to keep their customers safe, especially in this hyper-sensitive climate we live in.
Anna you betcha, I miss Minnesota every day, best 181/2 years I ever spent there, but unfortunately the children and grandchildren live in Washington State and wife wanted to return. Hate the Rainy weather and traffic in Seattle metro area.
There is a waterhole at MSP called “Ike’s”. Back in the day when I was commuting every week from Portland to Philadelphia I would always endeavour to stage through MSP and try to get at least a three hour layover. I was always guaranteed to come out of there pleasantly bloated and feeling no pain. I understand Ike’s also has locations in Minneapolis and this is one of the things I would most happily ride the Hiawatha (the old Hiawatha, not that attenuated thing Amtrak is offering) from Chicago to Minneapolis, just for the food. And of course, for the Minnesota Nice. Ya, you betcha. The usual rant against TRAINS, the usual disclaimer, and the little guy – he was kinda funny looking. How so? I don’t know, he was just kinda funny looking …
So much for Mr. Landry keeping his feedback “on-topic”.
It’s nice to be able to take the train directly from Portage to Milwaukee Airport. That stop should be permanent for the Empire Builder.
Gentlemen, gentlemen. Charles Landey does not believe in the seriousness of this virus. That is his right. He also believes in the primacy of his rights over proclamations by … how did he put it? … “the socialist governor”. That is also his right. Reality however is what it is, and sometimes (like now) reality bites. If he wishes to ignore the seriousness of the current situation, let him. However, if you the reader believe in the seriousness of the situation and are willing to put science over dogma, my suggestion to you is to avoid being in the presence of Mister Landey. If he gets sick, so be it. I will miss him, but he is a free agent. But don’t be numbered in the people he will likely take with him. And remember, stupidity is always a capital offence. The usual rant against TRAINS, the usual disclaimer, and where is Doctor Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet, now that we need it (with a nod to Lenny Bruce)?
“….on-topic…” is just too complicated for some, but simply have no difficulty landing upon loaded buzz-words.
As soon as I saw an article that mentioned Wisconsin I knew the troll would have to chime in.
Charles the Covid-19 Virus gives a rats ass about your politicizing. It doesn’t care if your a Republican or Democrat, it’s an equal opportunity killer. Facts are Wisconsin has lower numbers than Illinois and you should take that as good thing but don’t think you’re immune from getting the Virus and I hope you don’t. If wearing masks and social distancing will knock the virus down then so be it but let’s not make it political with your interpretations of Socialism and Fascism. Since Illinois has so many more cases maybe we should be visiting Wisconsin more, Chicago’s backyard.
Amtrak ought to encourage employees to work from home, per the Karen’s.