Wisconsin is set to receive over $800 million in federal funds for a high-speed rail line that will connect Madison to Milwaukee and other large Midwest cities, according to a statement from the White House.
The statement said the majority of the funds will be used to upgrade 80 miles of track between Madison and Milwaukee, with rail service expected between the two cities by 2013. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, $13 million of the funds will be used to improve infrastructure along the Milwaukee-Chicago corridor.
The long-term aim of the project is to span approximately 441 miles with improved track and to connect the Twin Cities to Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago. The entire federal grant is $823 million, which will fund the Madison-Milwaukee-Chicago improvements and include nearly $1 million to study a proposed high-speed rail line between Madison and the Twin Cities, according to the WSJ.
According to the White House, the new trains will travel at up to 110 mph.
Part of the funds will also go toward updating train stations. According to the statement, the improvements and long-term vision of the project aim to reduce travel time for passengers and save energy.
In his State of the State Address Tuesday night, Doyle mentioned the possibility of the rail line and said, ""With the Obama administration's support, Wisconsin is poised to be the nation's leader in high-speed rail manufacturing.""
In his speech on the subject last April, President Barack Obama said he is particularly invested in a high-speed rail system for the Midwest and said the rail line is ""something close to my heart.""
""Building a new system of high-speed rail in America will be faster, cheaper and easier than building more freeways or adding to an already overburdened aviation system, and everybody stands to benefit,"" Obama said.
