Spending for Amtrak facility before lawmakers

MADISON, Wis. — The Legislature’s budget committee is set to vote on approving an additional $5 million in spending on engineering and design work for an Amtrak maintenance facility.

The Joint Finance Committee on Wednesday was scheduled to consider the request from Gov. Scott Walker’s Department of Transportation.

A year ago, before he even took office, Walker succeeded in killing a new high-speed train line to connect Milwaukee and Madison. But Walker has been supportive of the existing Hiawatha line between Milwaukee and Chicago.

Under a 2009 deal with train-maker Talgo, the state agreed to purchase two passenger car train sets for use on the Hiawatha line. As part of that deal, the state agreed to assume the cost of maintaining the equipment.

This money is for design and engineering work.