Amtrak’s Hiawatha train service between Milwaukee and Chicago will regain nearly 100 seats lost in March 2025 after the removal of all Horizon passenger cars due to underframe corrosion. This removal lowered seating capacity per trainset to between 260 and 280 passengers, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Details of New Railcars Ordered from Siemens
In 2021, Amtrak ordered nine new railcars from Siemens to expand the Hiawatha’s capacity. These include six coach cars that are the Siemens Venture model, matching the current coach equipment, and three new Venture cab-coach cars, which will be the first of their kind in the Midwest. Each cab-coach seats 56
passengers and contains conductor equipment to operate the train, replacing Amtrak’s older F-40 cab cars that offered no seating.
Phased Delivery and Testing Timeline
The introduction of the new Siemens railcars will begin in September 2026 with the first two coach cars entering service. The remaining cars will be added gradually through October and November. Before deployment, the nine railcars must undergo a commissioning and testing phase in Chicago, which typically lasts three to four months, as detailed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Background on Equipment Planning and Past Projects
The state’s plans to update Hiawatha train equipment extend back to 2009 when then-Governor Jim Doyle signed a no-bid contract with
Talgo to build two new trains. These trains were intended to replace older Amtrak equipment, including the Horizon cars. Later, a Milwaukee-Madison high-speed rail project funded in part by an $810 million federal stimulus grant involved Talgo, but it was canceled by Governor Scott Walker in 2010. Talgo sued the state, leading to a $10 million settlement in 2015 and cumulative payments totaling $51 million. In 2019, the Wisconsin Legislature budget committee approved funds specifically for new passenger railcars for the Hiawatha line.
Passenger Impact and Capacity Improvements
Once the new railcars are fully integrated, each Hiawatha trainset will feature five coaches and one cab-coach
car, boosting total seating and accommodating up to 388 passengers and nine checked bicycles. The new cab-coach cars replace outdated F-40 cab cars, improving passenger seating availability and operational efficiency on the Milwaukee-Chicago corridor.
