Hiawatha Service

Hiawatha Service

Hiawatha Service at Glenview, October 2018
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Locale	Illinois/Wisconsin
Predecessor	Milwaukee Road corridor trains
First service	May 1, 1971 (1971-05-01)
Current operator(s)	Amtrak, in partnership with Illinois and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation
Annual ridership	636,854 (FY23) 26.9%[a][1]
Route
Termini	Milwaukee, Wisconsin Chicago, Illinois
Stops	5
Distance travelled	86 miles (138 km)
Average journey time	1 hour, 29 minutes
Service frequency	Six round trips (Mon–Sat) Five round trips (Sun)
Train number(s)	329–332, 334–339, 341–344
On-board services
Class(es)	Coach Class
Disabled access	All cars, all stations
Catering facilities	None
Baggage facilities	Overhead racks, checked baggage available at Chicago and Milwaukee (suspended)
Technical
Rolling stock	Siemens Charger Venture coaches Horizon coaches
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed	57 mph (92 km/h) (avg.) 79 mph (127 km/h) (top)
Route map Show interactive map Legend Empire Builder, Borealis 86 mi 138 km Milwaukee Menomonee River Kinnickinnic River 78 mi 126 km Milwaukee Airport Root River 63 mi 101 km Sturtevant Wisconsin Illinois Chicago River (north branch) MD-N to Fox Lake 16 mi 26 km Glenview 0 mi 0 km Chicago other Amtrak services other Amtrak services California Zephyr, Illinois Zephyr, and Southwest Chief Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle City of New Orleans, Illini and Saluki Capitol Limited, Lake Shore Limited, and Michigan Services Cardinal All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk edit Show route diagram map

The Hiawatha Service, or simply Hiawatha, is an 86-mile (138 km) train route operated by Amtrak on the western shore of Lake Michigan between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, the name was historically applied to several different routes that extended across the Midwest and to the Pacific Ocean. As of 2007, twelve to fourteen trains (six round-trips, five on Sunday) ran daily between Chicago and Milwaukee,^[2] making intermediate stops in Glenview, Illinois; Sturtevant, Wisconsin; and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. The line is partially supported by funds from the state governments of Wisconsin and Illinois.^[3] The line utilizes the CPKC Railway's C&M Subdivision and Metra's Milwaukee District North Line.

The service carried 636,854 passengers in fiscal year 2023, a 26.9% increase over FY2022.^[4] It is Amtrak's sixth-busiest route, and the railroad's busiest line in the Midwest.^[4] Revenue during FY2011 totaled $14,953,873, a 6.1% increase over FY2010.^[4] Ridership per mile is also very high, exceeded only by the Northeast Regional and the Capitol Corridor. A one-way trip between Milwaukee and Chicago takes about 90 minutes. In the 1930s, the same trip took 75 minutes on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad's Hiawatha.^[5] In 2014, free Wi-Fi service was added to the Hiawatha Service.^[6] The service is especially popular with fans attending games involving baseball's Brewers–Cubs rivalry using mass transit, with trains before and after games at either American Family Field or Wrigley Field often filled to capacity.^[7][8]

The route is augmented by Amtrak Thruway routes connecting Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, and Fond du Lac with Milwaukee and Madison, Janesville, and Rockford with Chicago.

On April 24, 2020, the Hiawatha was temporarily replaced by bus service due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Partial service resumed in June 2020, and full service in May 2021.

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