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Wisconsin
7 buyers · 12 tenders · checked 2026-10-08
WisDOT buys Wisconsin rail: Hiawatha West application, Muskego Yard Bypass, Borealis track works and a Charger overhaul grant; Milwaukee's Hop streetcar is stalled.
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1Metro systems operating
7Buyers tracked
12Tenders tracked
7Cities tracked
- Live pipeline
- $272.8m Hiawatha West project cost estimate ($218.2m CRISI request, not yet decided), over $140m FRA Charger locomotive overhaul grant (multi-state), $72.8m Muskego Yard Bypass CRISI award, $53m Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago project ($31.8m CRISI), $25.7m FRA coach grant, $23.5m Milwaukee Airport Rail Station platform, $21.7m Merrimac Bridge Phase III contract, $10.0m Eau Claire Galloway Street crossing elimination (FRA), $5.0m Racine KRM corridor advancement (FTA); 12 tracked items
- Technology areas
- Track & civil, Signalling & train control, Rolling-stock hardware, Predictive maintenance, Digital operations
Key figures
$326m+ grants, $155m loansmore than $326m of FRPP grants since 1980; $155m of FRIIP loans since 1992
2 sources · all primary
- ● WisDOT · Freight Railroad Preservation Program page: grants up to 80 per cent of project cost, more than $326 million awarded since 1980, SFY 2025 cycle $8 million bonding authority plus $13 million segregated funds, fall 2024 policy revision opening the programme to privately owned railroads including Class I, applications due 1 February annually. (checked 2026-10-07)
- ● WisDOT · Freight Railroad Infrastructure Improvement Program page: loans up to 100 per cent of project cost, $155 million of loans since 1992, funded from repayment of prior loans. (checked 2026-10-07)
Four Step 1 awards, $0.5m each4 Corridor ID Step 1 awards of $500,000
4 sources · all primary
- ● USAspending.gov (FRA award record) · Corridor Identification and Development Step 1 award 69A36524520570FSPWI to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, $500,000, signed 23 May 2024: new frequencies on the Hiawatha Service between Milwaukee and Chicago. (published 2025-11-17 · checked 2026-10-07)
- ● USAspending.gov (FRA award record) · Corridor Identification and Development Step 1 award 69A36524520480FSPWI to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, $500,000, signed 17 May 2024: extension of the Hiawatha Service from Milwaukee to Green Bay. (published 2025-09-23 · checked 2026-10-07)
- ● USAspending.gov (FRA award record) · Corridor Identification and Development Step 1 award 69A36524520590FSPWI to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, $500,000, signed 20 June 2024: a new daily round trip between Chicago and St. Paul with an extension to Minneapolis. (published 2025-09-23 · checked 2026-10-07)
- ● USAspending.gov (FRA award record) · Corridor Identification and Development Step 1 award 69A36524520580FSPWI to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, $500,000, signed 23 May 2024: Milwaukee to Minneapolis through Madison and Eau Claire on an existing alignment. (published 2025-09-23 · checked 2026-10-07)
Madison extension, decision pending$218.2m CRISI request; $272.8m estimated cost
2 sources · 1 primary
- ● Office of the Governor of Wisconsin · Press release of 25 June 2026: WisDOT and Amtrak submitted a USDOT grant application to extend two daily Hiawatha round trips to Madison, Watertown and Pewaukee; awards expected in the coming months; Madison station study completed November 2025; Borealis passenger count. Prints no project cost. (published 2026-06-25 · checked 2026-10-07)
- ○ Progressive Railroading · Another passenger rail attempt in Wisconsin: the 25 June 2026 CRISI application to extend the Hiawatha about 80 miles west to Madison, estimated project cost $272.8 million, requested CRISI funding $218.2 million, track and bridge upgrades, grade crossings and three temporary station platforms. Secondary: used for the cost figures only because the Governor's release prints none. (checked 2026-10-07)
Muskego Yard CRISI award$72.8m (up to)
3 sources · 2 primary
- ○ U.S. Senator for Wisconsin (press office) · Press release of 28 October 2024 announcing $72.8 million in federal funding for the Muskego Yard Bypass Project, with WisDOT's statement on the new two-track mainline. Secondary: the FRA's own selection page (railroads.dot.gov) returns HTTP 403 to automated clients. (published 2024-10-28 · checked 2026-10-07)
- ● Amtrak Media · Amtrak Receives Federal Grants to Improve Chicago Service and Support Partner Projects across the Midwest, 31 October 2024: lists the Muskego Yard Bypass Project (up to $72,800,000, Wisconsin Department of Transportation) among the FRA CRISI grants Amtrak supported. (published 2024-10-31 · checked 2026-10-07)
- ● WisDOT · Muskego Yard Freight Rail Bypass Project page: new double-track mainline through Muskego Yard on the CPKC corridor, centralised traffic control, Burnham Canal and Menomonee Valley bridge rehabilitation; environmental clearance and preliminary engineering completed June 2023; final design expected 2026 and construction expected 2028, dependent on funding. Read 7 October 2026. (checked 2026-10-07)
Charger overhaul grantover $140m (multi-state)
1 source · primary
- ● Office of the Governor of Wisconsin · Press release of 19 August 2026: over $140 million from the FRA National Railroad Partnership Program to overhaul up to 41 Charger locomotives serving the Hiawatha and eight other routes; WisDOT applied in partnership with Amtrak and the Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon and Washington transportation departments; Wisconsin also co-applicant on a project that received over $45 million for onboard shunt devices. (published 2026-08-19 · checked 2026-10-07)
Borealis track works$53m project, $31.8m CRISI
2 sources · all primary
- ● WisDOT · Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago (TCMC) Intercity Passenger Rail Infrastructure Project page: Borealis start 21 May 2024, $53 million project, $31.8 million CRISI grant of September 2020, $12.6 million Restoration and Enhancement grant of May 2020, construction anticipated 2025 to 2027, La Crosse works list. Read 7 October 2026. (checked 2026-10-07)
- ● USAspending.gov (FRA award record) · Federal award 69A36522403260CRSWI to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements: $31,800,000 federal, $21,200,000 non-federal, $53,000,000 total funding; signed 2 March 2022; period to 31 July 2029. FRA's own page returns HTTP 403. (published 2025-12-22 · checked 2026-10-07)
Buyers
| Buyer | Type | Tenders | Contracts awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Department of Transportation | State DOT | 9 | 0 |
| City of Eau Claire | Other | 1 | 0 |
| City of Milwaukee - The Hop Streetcar | Transit authority | 1 | 0 |
| City of Racine | Other | 1 | 0 |
| Office of the Commissioner of Railroads | Regulator / standards | 0 | 0 |
| Port Milwaukee | Development authority | 0 | 0 |
| Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission | Other | 0 | 0 |
Tenders
| Tender | Buyer | Status | Value band | Next key date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcivia Hager City rail loadout (FRIIP programme) | WisDOT | Awarded | $25–100m | |
| Wisconsin & Southern Janesville bridges and track | WisDOT | Awarded | $5–25m | |
| Next Generation coach and cab-coach acquisition | WisDOT | In execution | $25–100m | |
| Merrimac Bridge Phase III span replacement | WisDOT | In execution | $5–25m | Completion 2023 |
| Milwaukee Airport Rail Station second platform | WisDOT | In execution | $5–25m | Completion June 2023 |
| Hop Lakefront Line extension | The Hop | In execution | $5–25m | |
| Hiawatha West Milwaukee to Madison extension | WisDOT | Planned | $100–500m | |
| Charger locomotive mid-life overhaul grant | WisDOT | Planned | over $140m FRA National Railroad Partnership Program grant (multi-state) | |
| Muskego Yard freight rail bypass | WisDOT | Planned | $25–100m | |
| Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago Borealis track works | WisDOT | Planned | $25–100m | |
| Eau Claire Galloway Street crossing elimination | Eau Claire | Planned | $5–25m | |
| Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee corridor advancement | Racine | Planned | $5–25m |
Cities
| City | Network status | Networks |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | operational - the Hop streetcar (five Brookville vehicles, 2.1-mile route through the Historic Third Ward, East Town and the Lower East Side, plus the lakefront L Line) is free to ride and operated by Transdev for the City; Amtrak's Hiawatha Service (stated as seven daily round trips on WisDOT's project pages), the Empire Builder and the Borealis call at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, which carries more than 1.3 million passengers a year, and the Hiawatha and Borealis also stop at the Milwaukee Airport Rail Station, whose second platform is under construction; the Muskego Yard Bypass would take most freight off the Intermodal Station; Port Milwaukee's Jones Island rail yards serve the harbour | The Hop streetcar (M Line and L Line); Amtrak Hiawatha Service; Amtrak Borealis; Amtrak Empire Builder |
| Madison | no passenger rail - the Governor's release of 25 June 2026 says the city has not had passenger rail since 1971; WisDOT and Amtrak applied that day for a CRISI grant to extend two Hiawatha round trips from Milwaukee to Madison over CPKC to Watertown and state-owned Wisconsin & Southern track on to Madison; the city completed a passenger rail station study with WisDOT in November 2025; a Corridor ID Step 1 award covers Milwaukee to Minneapolis through Madison and Eau Claire | |
| La Crosse | operational intercity stop - Amtrak's Empire Builder and Borealis call here; the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago project rebuilds the second mainline track and yard lead at the La Crosse depot area, reconstructs the platform and upgrades at-grade crossings, with the Mississippi River bridge and River Junction yard works across the river in La Crescent, Minnesota | Amtrak Borealis; Amtrak Empire Builder |
| Watertown | proposed Hiawatha West stop - the 25 June 2026 CRISI application includes a temporary accessible station platform here; trains would run on the CPKC main line from Milwaukee to Watertown and on Wisconsin & Southern track from Watertown to Madison | |
| Pewaukee | proposed Hiawatha West stop - the 25 June 2026 CRISI application includes a temporary accessible station platform here, in Waukesha County, on the CPKC main line west of Milwaukee | |
| Eau Claire | freight only on the Union Pacific line through downtown; the City holds an FRA Railroad Crossing Elimination award to replace the Galloway Street at-grade crossings with an overpass; a Corridor ID Step 1 award covers Milwaukee to Minneapolis through Madison and Eau Claire | |
| Racine | no passenger rail; the City holds an FTA award to advance passenger rail in the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) corridor along Lake Michigan |
Withheld in the free surface
- Capex in this region (3)
- Live pipeline value
- Market narrative
Full detail withheld: 3 fields. In the United States edition · See a fully open example
Sources
- ● WisDOT · Amtrak passenger rail service page: Wisconsin is served by the Hiawatha Service (stated as six round trips a day), the Empire Builder and the Borealis, with the station list. Read 7 October 2026. (checked 2026-10-07)
- ● WisDOT · Construction bid letting page: highway lettings on the second Tuesday of each month with the 2026 schedule (13 October, 10 November, 8 December remaining). The 13 October 2026 letting advertisement (13 pages) was read in full and carries no railroad, Amtrak or track proposal. (checked 2026-10-07)
- ● WisDOT · Chicago-Milwaukee Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor project page: proposed increase from seven to 10 daily Hiawatha round trips, the environmental assessment and service development plan. Read 7 October 2026. (checked 2026-10-07)
- ● WisDOT · Freight Railroad Infrastructure Improvement Program page: loans up to 100 per cent of project cost, $155 million of loans since 1992, funded from repayment of prior loans. (checked 2026-10-07)
- ● WisDOT · Freight Railroad Preservation Program page: grants up to 80 per cent of project cost, more than $326 million awarded since 1980, SFY 2025 cycle $8 million bonding authority plus $13 million segregated funds, fall 2024 policy revision opening the programme to privately owned railroads including Class I, applications due 1 February annually. (checked 2026-10-07)
- ● WisDOT · Milwaukee Airport Rail Station Second Platform and Pedestrian Overpass Project page: 2017 CRISI grant, 800-foot platform, elevator towers and bridge, 0.6 miles of track surfacing, design November 2019 to December 2022, letting April 2023, construction from June 2023. Read 7 October 2026. (checked 2026-10-07)
- ● WisDOT · Muskego Yard Freight Rail Bypass Project page: new double-track mainline through Muskego Yard on the CPKC corridor, centralised traffic control, Burnham Canal and Menomonee Valley bridge rehabilitation; environmental clearance and preliminary engineering completed June 2023; final design expected 2026 and construction expected 2028, dependent on funding. Read 7 October 2026. (checked 2026-10-07)
- ● WisDOT Plans · Wisconsin Rail Plan page: WisDOT is updating its 2023 State Rail Plan, expected completion Summer 2027, covering passenger, commuter and freight rail and crossing safety. (checked 2026-10-07)
- ● WisDOT · Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago (TCMC) Intercity Passenger Rail Infrastructure Project page: Borealis start 21 May 2024, $53 million project, $31.8 million CRISI grant of September 2020, $12.6 million Restoration and Enhancement grant of May 2020, construction anticipated 2025 to 2027, La Crosse works list. Read 7 October 2026. (checked 2026-10-07)
- ● Office of the Governor of Wisconsin · Press release of 19 August 2026: over $140 million from the FRA National Railroad Partnership Program to overhaul up to 41 Charger locomotives serving the Hiawatha and eight other routes; WisDOT applied in partnership with Amtrak and the Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon and Washington transportation departments; Wisconsin also co-applicant on a project that received over $45 million for onboard shunt devices. (published 2026-08-19 · checked 2026-10-07)
- ● Office of the Governor of Wisconsin · Press release of 25 June 2026: WisDOT and Amtrak submitted a USDOT grant application to extend two daily Hiawatha round trips to Madison, Watertown and Pewaukee; awards expected in the coming months; Madison station study completed November 2025; Borealis passenger count. Prints no project cost. (published 2026-06-25 · checked 2026-10-07)
- ● The Hop (City of Milwaukee Streetcar) · Frequently Asked Questions: five vehicles, three in service at peak, 2.1-mile route through the Historic Third Ward, East Town and the Lower East Side, free to ride, ridership counted by automatic passenger counters, expansion planned. (checked 2026-10-07)
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