Milwaukee has two Amtrak stops: an intermodal station just to the southwest of
downtown, and a stop just to the West of the main airport.
The downtown station was originally a modernist structure built by the Milwaukee Road in 1965
(near the nadir of American passenger rail service) to replace the Everett Street Depot.
The Chicago and North Western Railroad moved their passenger operations to the
facility a year later. The building was extensively renovated and reopened in
2007 as an intermodal train/bus station.
My trip through the station in November of 2011 immediately followed
the announcement by newly-elected Republican Governor Scott Walker that
he would be cancelling High Speed Rail plans instituted by his predecessor,
Democrat Jim Doyle. The promotional materials were still up at the station.
The city's other Amtrak station is an attractive Prairie Style building
serves the General Mitchell Airport. The building was dedicated in 2005
under the administration of the aforementioned Governor Doyle. Free shuttle
service connected the station to the main airport terminal.