After 5 Years In Storage, Talgo Trains Built For Wisconsin Return To Milwaukee


After 5 Years In Storage, Talgo Trains Built For Wisconsin Return To Milwaukee


Trains May Eventually Run In Pacific Northwest

The passenger trains the state of Wisconsin ordered more than a decade ago are coming home, if only for a little while.

An Amtrak spokesperson confirmed Monday the trains built by Spanish train manufacturer Talgo to run in Wisconsin are back at the company`s maintenance facility in Milwaukee. 

Talgo originally built the trains to run on Amtrak`s Hiawatha line between Milwaukee and Chicago, but they were caught up in a legal battle that was born out of Wisconsin`s high-speed rail debate.

The state purchased the trains in 2009 under the leadership of former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle. The state of Wisconsin defaulted on the Talgo contract in 2012 after Republican lawmakers decided not to pay for their maintenance.

The state settled a lawsuit with Talgo in 2015. Under the terms of the agreement, Wisconsin paid Talgo $50 million and Talgo got to keep the trains. According to an analysis by the Legislature`s nonpartisan budget office, the deal and subsequent settlement expenses cost the state about $59 million...

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Ken Notes: I want to cry, because the improved rail corridor we could have had would have created a wonderful opportunity for economic development in the state.

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- - Volume: 7 - WEEK: 50 Date: 12/12/2019 4:49:20 PM -