About the Study
The Commission is assisting the City of Racine and partners in a study that would reintroduce passenger rail service in the Union Pacific corridor between Kenosha and Milwaukee (map of the study corridor). The City of Racine obtained $5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending and is using part of those funds to complete the study. The study is expected to be completed in early 2025.
Relation to Previous Studies
The Commission previously participated in studies related to establishing a commuter rail line in the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) corridor, which is recommended in VISION 2050 as part of a larger commuter rail network. More information on those studies can be found in the archived website for the KRM Commuter Link project.
While the current study will incorporate the previous studies and their results, the study will differ in important ways to reflect changes since the previous studies were completed in 2011. It will explore alternative service designs, station locations, organizational structures, and funding mechanisms.
Study Guidance and Input
The study is being guided by an advisory Steering Committee initially made up of representatives from the Cities of Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee; the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT); and the Commission. To guide and shape the technical aspects of the project, a Technical Working Group has also been formed, which is made up of representatives from the three cities, the Milwaukee County Transit System, WisDOT, and the Commission. The composition of these advisory groups may change as the study progresses.
Public and stakeholder engagement will be conducted to obtain input as the study works toward a preferred alternative. Following the study, a project sponsor (to be identified during the study) would need to advance the preferred alternative through additional project development phases involving environmental review, preliminary engineering, and final design.
Commission Role in the Study
The Commission’s role in the current study is to provide project management support through an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Racine. This includes assistance with study scoping; forming and participating on the project team, Steering Committee, and Technical Working Group; procuring consultants and overseeing and supporting their work; and supporting an anticipated request to enter a federal funding program.