State leaders, namely Gov. Jim Doyle, are working toward getting more Wisconsinites riding the rails via a chunk of the $8 billion set aside for passenger rail service in the federal stimulus; a deal with a Spanish company, Talgo, for the trains already has been struck.
The idea, on first glance, is a good one.
According to a report by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism published in Thursday's Times, the $500 million line would include an 85-mile link from Madison to Milwaukee, then would use the Amtrak line already in place to Chicago. Eventually, the rail line would link the two cities with Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis and the Twin Cities.
Doyle hopes to pay for the line and improvements to the Chicago-to-Milwaukee Amtrak route with $500 million to $600 million in federal stimulus funds.
There appears to be public support of the plan based on a state Department of Transportation study in 2008, which showed 188,000 people might use the Milwaukee-to-Madison line by 2020.
But, on second glance, the feasibility of the plan could delay or - pardon the pun - derail it altogether.
As with any project requiring a new easement, there will be costs to land owners along the route, and the cost and loss of time to the state over legal fights that likely would arise.
The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism report also cited a 2006 state study indicating 9,570 jobs would be added or saved if the rail line was constructed, along with 3,000 construction jobs over 10 years - mostly in the towns where the train makes stops, Brookfield, Madison, Oconomowoc and Watertown.
Those jobs are needed and beneficial, but the increased train traffic might be a headache for some along the route, with more noise and changes to traffic patterns.
Another problem with implementation is the long-term cost amid the troubled economy. Now might not be the time to take on hundreds of millions of dollars in additional spending. Plus, who knows what federal stipulations could accompany the money?
If the rail line can be built quickly, safely, fairly and without costing landowners their property, the plan should be pursued. However, the current economy and the possibility of the project being delayed by legal battles likely means it won't meet any of the above.
The prospect of hopping a train in Madison and arriving in Chicago a few hours later - without having to sit in Bear-land traffic for what seems like an eternity to go 30 miles - is a wonderful thought. Unfortunately, it might only be a dream.
The idea, on first glance, is a good one.
According to a report by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism published in Thursday's Times, the $500 million line would include an 85-mile link from Madison to Milwaukee, then would use the Amtrak line already in place to Chicago. Eventually, the rail line would link the two cities with Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis and the Twin Cities.
Doyle hopes to pay for the line and improvements to the Chicago-to-Milwaukee Amtrak route with $500 million to $600 million in federal stimulus funds.
There appears to be public support of the plan based on a state Department of Transportation study in 2008, which showed 188,000 people might use the Milwaukee-to-Madison line by 2020.
But, on second glance, the feasibility of the plan could delay or - pardon the pun - derail it altogether.
As with any project requiring a new easement, there will be costs to land owners along the route, and the cost and loss of time to the state over legal fights that likely would arise.
The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism report also cited a 2006 state study indicating 9,570 jobs would be added or saved if the rail line was constructed, along with 3,000 construction jobs over 10 years - mostly in the towns where the train makes stops, Brookfield, Madison, Oconomowoc and Watertown.
Those jobs are needed and beneficial, but the increased train traffic might be a headache for some along the route, with more noise and changes to traffic patterns.
Another problem with implementation is the long-term cost amid the troubled economy. Now might not be the time to take on hundreds of millions of dollars in additional spending. Plus, who knows what federal stipulations could accompany the money?
If the rail line can be built quickly, safely, fairly and without costing landowners their property, the plan should be pursued. However, the current economy and the possibility of the project being delayed by legal battles likely means it won't meet any of the above.
The prospect of hopping a train in Madison and arriving in Chicago a few hours later - without having to sit in Bear-land traffic for what seems like an eternity to go 30 miles - is a wonderful thought. Unfortunately, it might only be a dream.
