Amtrak’s Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago has operated with reduced seating since March 2025, when nearly 100 seats were lost per trainset due to removal of Horizon cars affected by underframe corrosion.
New Railcars to Restore and Increase Seating
Nine new railcars will be added to the route starting in fall 2026. These include six Siemens Venture model coach cars matching the current fleet and three new cab-coach cars for the Midwest that each provide 56 passenger seats and facilities for train conductors.
The cab-coach cars will replace the existing Amtrak-owned F-40 cab cars, which currently do not offer passenger seating. After the upgrade, each trainset
will feature five coach cars and one cab-coach, raising total capacity to 388 passengers and accommodating nine checked bicycles.
Deployment and Testing Timeline
The nine new cars were ordered from Siemens in 2021. The first two coach cars are expected to enter service by September 2026, with the remaining cars gradually introduced through October and November.
Before entering revenue service, the cars will undergo a commissioning and testing period in Chicago lasting three to four months, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Historical Context and State Rail Decisions
Plans to update Hiawatha equipment date back to 2009, when then-Governor Jim Doyle awarded a no-bid contract to Talgo for two
new trains to replace aging Amtrak-owned cars, including the Horizon fleet removed in 2025.
Subsequently, a federal $810 million grant was secured to develop a Milwaukee-Madison high-speed rail line, with Talgo assigned to build trains for that route. Following his 2010 election, Governor Scott Walker canceled the project over concerns about operating costs.
Talgo sued Wisconsin over contract disputes, resulting in a $51 million settlement paid by 2015. The trains built under this program were retained by Talgo.
In 2019, Wisconsin’s Legislature budget committee approved funding to acquire new passenger cars for the Hiawatha line, culminating in the Siemens order.
Passenger Capacity and Service Impact
Since the removal of the Horizon cars, individual Hiawatha trains have operated with seating capacity between 260 and 280 passengers.
The introduction of the nine new cars will restore and increase capacity, allowing up to 388 passengers per trainset and adding space for nine bicycles. The new cab-coach cars provide added functionality by including conductor space alongside passenger seating.
