Milwaukee Intermodal Station

Milwaukee Intermodal Station
Glass station building and 6th Street Bridge at sunset
General information
Location433 West Saint Paul Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
United States
Coordinates43°02′03″N 87°55′02″W / 43.03417°N 87.91722°W / 43.03417; -87.91722
Owned byWisconsin Department of Transportation
Operated byAmtrak
Line(s)CPKC Watertown/C&M Subdivisions
Platforms2 island and 1 side platform
Tracks5
Bus stands9
Bus operators
ConnectionsMilwaukee Streetcar
Milwaukee County Transit System: BlueLine, 12, 31, 34, 57
Construction
Parking425 long term spaces
Bicycle facilitiesBublr Bikes bike-share
Outdoor bicycle parking
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: MKE
IATA codeZML
History
Opened1965
Rebuilt2007
Previous namesMilwaukee Union Station (1965–2007)
Passengers
FY 2023509,107[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Columbus
toward St. Paul
Borealis Milwaukee Airport
toward Chicago
Terminus Hiawatha
Columbus
toward Seattle or Portland
Empire Builder Glenview
toward Chicago
Preceding station The Hop Following station
Terminus M-Line St. Paul at Plankinton
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Columbus
toward Duluth
North Star Sturtevant
toward Chicago
Columbus
toward Seattle
North Coast Hiawatha Glenview
toward Chicago
Columbus Twin Cities Hiawatha
Preceding station Milwaukee Road Following station
Oconomowoc
towards Minneapolis
Morning Hiawatha Glenview
towards Chicago
Fast Mail
Terminus Chicago – Milwaukee
Wauwatosa
towards Watertown
Suburban Service Terminus
Preceding station Chicago and North Western Railway Following station
Green Bay
toward Ashland or Ironwood
Flambeau 400 Racine
toward Chicago
West Bend
toward Ishpeming
Peninsula 400
Terminus Milwaukee Division
Location
Map

Milwaukee Intermodal Station is an intercity bus and train station in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Amtrak service at Milwaukee includes the daily Empire Builder, the daily Borealis, and the six daily Hiawatha round trips. It is Amtrak's 18th-busiest station nationwide, and the second-busiest in the Midwest, behind only Chicago Union Station.[2] The station is served by bus companies Coach USA - Wisconsin Coach Lines (regional and intercity services), Greyhound Lines, Jefferson Lines, Indian Trails, Lamers, Badger Bus, Tornado Bus Company, and Megabus. It is also the western terminus of the M-Line service of The Hop streetcar.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation owns the station and platforms. The DOT's Statewide Traffic Operations Center is on the 3rd floor of the station. The station has 2 island platforms and 1 side platform, which serve the two main tracks of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City C&M Subdivision plus three platform sidings.

History

The original Milwaukee Union Station, soon after its opening in 1965

The station opened on August 3, 1965, as Milwaukee Union Station. Operated by the Milwaukee Road, it replaced their previous Everett Street Depot. The depot was built on West St. Paul Avenue in a modernistic style that proved unpopular quickly after it was erected.[3] The Chicago and North Western Railway closed their Milwaukee station (Lake Front Depot) and moved their passenger operations to the new Milwaukee Road depot in 1966. Following the formation of Amtrak in 1971, the Chicago and North Western withdrew all of its inter-city trains and commuter service from the station. The Canadian Pacific Railway (through its Soo Line Railroad subsidiary) acquired the trackage within the train shed when it bought the remnants of the Milwaukee Road in 1986. CP merged with the Kansas City Southern Railway on April 14, 2023 to form Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited.

In November 2007, the facility was renamed the Milwaukee Intermodal Station following a $16.9 million renovation. The new facility included a larger waiting area with a glass atrium and improved space for Amtrak ticketing, as well as facilities for intercity buses (to accommodate Greyhound service after it relocated from its former location at 7th and Michigan), a restaurant, and retail space.[4] In 2016, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation completed a rebuild of the train shed and platform to meet federal accessible standards.[5]

The Hop streetcar service began on November 2, 2018, with a stop on Vel R. Phillips Avenue just northeast of the station.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Wisconsin" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  2. ^ Amtrak national fact sheet FY2018
  3. ^ Holland, Kevin J. (2001). Classic American Railroad Terminals. Osceola, WI: MBI. p. 61. ISBN 9780760308325. OCLC 45908903.
  4. ^ Amtrak, Greyhound now at same location Archived November 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Jannene, Jeramey. "Eyes on Milwaukee: New $22 Million Rail Concourse Opens". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved 2022-11-18.

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