Borealis rail service unveiled in La Crosse
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – State and Federal Officials met in La Crosse earlier today (5/21/24) to celebrate the arrival of a new Amtrack rail service. First News at Nine’s Dashal Mentzel has more on how Wisconsin will benefit from the additional train.
A second Amtrack is now serving the La Crosse area. Multiple state officials meeting at the La Crosse Amtrack station to celebrate the arrival of the Borealis train service. Wisconsin dot Secretary, Craig Thompson, says getting the new service set up was not an easy process, “This rail line needed a lot of infrastructure improvements before we could get to the point of expanding this service. And this project is yet another example of what we can accomplish through the funding we got through the bipartisan infrastructure law.”
Governor Tony Evers says a new Amtrack has been years in the making for the state, “It has been 22 years since we’ve expanded passenger rail in this state, but that changes today. Wisconsin was long overdue for a new train service to meet travelers’ demand for a safe, efficient and sustainable way to get to where they need to go.”
La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds believes a second passenger train going through the city will have a significant impact on the local economy, “Everyone understands how big of an economic impact an Amtrak line has on your community. We get that. But there’s also the intangibles that happen when you have an additional line that comes to your community.”
While Governor Evers is happy about the second line, his goal is to expand the passenger lines even further, “Looking ahead, we are continuing to explore more opportunities to add rail services in other parts of the state, such as the Green Bay, Eau Claire and Madison areas. And we are determined to help make sure our expanded rail service is a thriving part of our state’s transportation network.”
In La Crosse, Dashal Mentzel First News at Nine.
The Borealis route goes from St Paul to Chicago. It will pass through multiple Wisconsin towns including La Crosse, Tomah, Wisconsin Dells, Portage, and Milwaukee.
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