The Milwaukee Airport Rail Station (MARS) Project is an improvement project at the existing station to add a west-side platform and a pedestrian overpass connecting the existing station to the new platform.
Background
The Milwaukee Airport Rail Station (MARS) at Mitchell International Airport opened in 2005 and is one of the few passenger rail stations in the Amtrak system that offers direct access to an airport.
MARS is a station stop for Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service, which offers seven round trips per day between Chicago Union Station and the Milwaukee Intermodal Station. Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service operates over track owned by Metra between Chicago Union Station and Green Oaks, Ill., and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) from Green Oaks, Ill. to the Milwaukee Intermodal Station in downtown Milwaukee.
Project Location
MARS is located on the western edge of Mitchell International Airport property, south of Wisconsin 119 and east of I-94 in Milwaukee. The station is located on the east side of the two-track CP C&M Subdivision mainline at Milepost (MP) 78.4. The proposed station improvements will occur at the station, on the east and west sides of the tracks and on the rail line.
Project Overview
In 2017, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) for the MARS Second Platform and Pedestrian Overpass Project. Key stakeholders in the project are the FRA, WisDOT, CP, Amtrak, and Milwaukee County. The project is for the final design and construction of:
- An 800-foot-long concrete platform west of the two CP tracks.
- Elevator towers on the east and west sides of the tracks with an overhead pedestrian bridge.
- Elevator tower on the east side of the tracks will be integrated into the existing station building and walkway.
- 0.6 miles of track surfacing and one-third tie renewal on CP’s east and west main tracks.
See the Chicago - Milwaukee Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor webpage for previous planning information conducted in this corridor.
The renderings below show the planned improvements.
Purpose/Need
The existing MARS has one permanent platform for passenger boarding/deboarding serving Track 1 on the east side, adjacent to the station. The boarding/deboarding process of Amtrak passengers only on the east side platform can cause delays in CP freight train operations and impacts to Amtrak’s operating schedule.
The purpose of the project is to:
- Improve freight and passenger operations and capacity.
- Reduce train delays and travel time.
- Provide greater railroad train dispatching flexibility.
- Improve passenger safety and ADA accessibility.
- Prepare the corridor for future passenger rail service expansion.
Schedule
- Design Phase: November 2019 – December 2022
- Contractor Letting: April 2023
- Construction: June 2023 – June 2025
Contact
Kurt Flierl, P.E.Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Construction Project Manager(262) 548-8724