Train Rider
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Per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/all-aboard-milwaukees-intermodal-station-due-for-upgrade-b9985161z1-221629401.html
Train Shed Upgrade for Milwaukee
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the_traveler
Engineer
It's about time they do something at MKE. The station is nice, but the platform is anything but nice - and IIRC somewhat dark.
The Davy Crockett
Engineer
If the finished product looks even remotely like the rendering, it will be a big improvement!
Train Rider
Service Attendant
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It's pretty dark. The tunnels still have some vintage direction signs.
With regard to my comment on another thread about lack of ZipCars at the station, I missed this two-day old article where they were recently installed. http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/blog/2013/08/zipcar-expands-milwaukee-fleet-with-29.html
rrdude
Engineer
"...........A new rail concourse at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, which serves Amtrak passenger trains and freight trains.........."
Really? What kind of service does the Intermodal station provide for "freight trains"?????
Really? What kind of service does the Intermodal station provide for "freight trains"?????
the_traveler
Engineer
That's so the hobos have a nice place to jump on and off of freight cars instead of some dangerous freight yard! Duh...
That really is a train "shed" in Milwaukee, but it does serve it's purpose: keeping the snow and rain off my head. On a recent trip to Buffalo, both our arrival and departure were greeted by a tremendous downpour. It was very sad watching a wheelchair bound passenger, and all the rest, sitting on the platform just getting drenched waiting to board.
I'm curious if we'll get any more detailed information about the platform heights. I haven't seen any details yet from WisDOT. Hopefully NARP/WisARP or a similar group posts such information if WisDOT does not update their site.
TraneMan
Conductor
Wow, what a huge change if this does happen.. I never knew there was a tunnel there..
The news article states the new station will have 2 platform heights with level boarding. For the Empire Builder, that means low level, presumably 15" ATR. The Hiawatha Horizons would be high level 48" ATR. The description is vague, but from the general rendering of the concourse, my guess is that the station will have a high level center platform and low level platforms on the sides. They could have 2-3 car long mini-highs, but would still block off much of the platform length for Superliner cars.
What this means, however, is that they are locking the platform design into the Hiawatha continuing to use Horizons. Whenever WI gets a new Governor, the state may end up buying the new corridor bi-levels to have a consistent fleet with the other Midwest states. At that point, the high level platform becomes an impediment. If they can hedge their bets, design the platforms and access ramps & stairs so the high level platform can be converted to low level without a major rebuild.
A
aurbo
Guest
Apparently, the author of the article did not do much research. When does the Empire Builder service only Minneapolis? They forgot to mention it goes all the way to the northwest.
That's what I am wondering. The render in the article is the same one that has been shown over the last few years anytime there has been news about the trainshed reconstruction.
The wording is vague, as you mention (not particularly surprising for a rail story, though). The way it is worded, one could read that to mean either that there will be both low level (15" ATR) and high level (48" ATR) platforms, or that individual platforms will have both low level and high level sections. Either way, I too share your concern about assuming that the Hiawatha will continue to use Amfleet/Horizon equipment and the high level platform.
It is better than when the whole station was run down! I remember those times.
There are 2 island platforms linked to the station by the tunnel (in addition to the side platform alongside the station building). Although in my experience the side platform is used far more often than the island platform, I have used the island platform a number of times in the 16ish years I've been traveling to/from MKE.
SubwayNut
Conductor
If your curious about the state of the tunnel, I got off the Empire Builder at the beginning of July on Track 3 and just (Monday) got the photos uploaded to my website.
They don't seem to offer electric cart / red cap rides in Milwaukee either, there was a man with his walker very slowly using the underpass as well.
They don't seem to offer electric cart / red cap rides in Milwaukee either, there was a man with his walker very slowly using the underpass as well.
This train shed modernization would have been funded by part of the $ 810 million federal grant, the one that was rejected by our current Elected Officials. So, we now have to pay for this out of State funds, while continuing to pay $ 810 million to some other State. Our governor was stupid to reject the funding, however, this is what happens when you have a large segment of the local population who have never ridden a train before, and see no reason to ride trains.
Read the comments -- the comments are examples of what we in Wisconsin are up against, folks. Probably in your part of the country, too.
Read the comments -- the comments are examples of what we in Wisconsin are up against, folks. Probably in your part of the country, too.
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