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On my way back from Kenosha to Milwaukee today, I stopped at the new Sturtevant Amtrak station to watch the Eastbound Empire Builder rumble through. What a beautiful little station! It's on the edge of a field in an industrial park, so nothing nearby if you are on foot & the station is not manned, but it is a beautiful brick building with plenty of indoor (and outdoor) seating, a large parking lot, and a pedestrian overpass that might be great for railfan photography.
If you're in the area, it's east of I-94, just south of state route 20 on County H. Hiawatha service stops there, but not the Empire Builder.
(Three weeks until our trip to Izaak Walton Inn - Hooray!)
notelvis Member # 3071
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Thanks for the note Judy.
I remember seeing pictures when the new station there was opened. It seems like it's near but not right where the old station was.....like maybe three quarters of a mile perhaps?
Personally, I'm still looking for the perfect opportunity to fly into Milwaukee and catch a train from the new Milwaukee Airport rail station!
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Actually, Ms. McFarland, the location of the former station was "dictated" by a need to also service "The Southwestern", or the MILW's line from Racine to Savanna. Passengers were gone from there before I hired on with the MILW (but not so during my college years).
Of course, Freight Agents have long since been relegated to history books, so there is no need to have the depot where is was.
palmland Member # 4344
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Speaking of Kenosha, I was reading an article that described the renaissance in that city as a result of a new steetcar line from downtown out to a waterfront park. It is bringing development back downtown along this line and mentions that Kenosha is the end of a commuter line. Anyone know if the streetcar serves the commuter station? Might be a fun excursion from Chicago.
On a related note, the light rail line in Charlotte opened this past week. Supposedly the crowds were 70% above first week expectations. Had to supplement with buses to move all the people. Eventually there will be a steetcar line linking that with the new intermodal train station near the site of the old SRR station downtown.
notelvis Member # 3071
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Re: Charlotte - With all of the very successful light rail operations that have sprung up in the last 15 years or so, I am always surprised when a new one opens and the local planners are caught by surprise with the popularity of their new system. It's like they've looked into other systems for ideas but you have to wonder whether they were really paying attention.
I am hoping that the Charlotte light rail, a single 9.7 mile artery for now, will be wildly successful and will lead to more support for rail transit elsewhere in the Carolinas.
palmland Member # 4344
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I hope so too David. I understand additional funding was recently overwhelmingly approved, so keep your fingers crossed. The drawings I've seen of the new intermodal station for buses, Amtrak, and streetcar are impressive.
Have you heard anything further on a 3rd Charlotte - Raleigh train?
Judy McFarland Member # 4435
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As usual, there seems to be much foot-dragging in finding ways to fund the proposed KRM line from Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee which will connect (continue?) the Metra lina that currently runs from Chicago to Kenosha. I have noticed proposals to include increased funding for rail in the plans to rebuild/expand I-94 Milwaukee-Chicago. Although I agree that rail probably cannot replace all the increased I-94 traffic, I think rail has to be part of the intelligent solution to ever-increasing Milwaukee-Chicago traffic. The new Milwaukee Intermodal station (which I have yet to see since completion) and possible eventual expansion of KRM to Madison should also be part of the picture.
Thanks Mr. Norman for the info about the former Sturtevant Station. County H was re-routed through the industrial park several years ago, so a trip by the old station for nostalgic reasons was "off the beaten track". This trip I did not go by to see if the old building was still there, but it appeared to be in great disrepair the last time I saw it from the train just over a year ago.
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