I read with interest the upcoming vote on the proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Regional Rail Line. Personally, I’m a strong supporter of rail travel. Just last weekend, I used Amtrak and Metra to travel between Kenosha and Detroit; and the Metra rail connection to Chicago was a key reason why my wife and I chose to move to Kenosha six years ago. That being said, however, I question whether the proposed KRM rail line makes sense.
To begin, KRM would duplicate service offered by Amtrak’s Hiawatha train, which runs between Union Station in Chicago and Milwaukee’s Intermodal Station. Hiawatha stops in Glenview, Illinois, which is easily accessible to most persons in Chicago’s northern suburbs, and at Sturtevant’s Amtrak station, which is just west of Racine. When I lived in Chicgao, Hiawatha was my preferred way to go to Milwaukee: it runs frequently, is inexpensive, fast, and reliable; and is quite popular, as …