Written by: Stuart Chirls, Senior Editor Amtrak is making several changes to the Saturday night departure times for Hiawatha trains traveling between Chicago and Milwaukee. The changes aim to attract more passengers enjoying dinner, concerts and other summer events in those cities. Amtrak Train 343 now departs Chicago at 11:25 p.m. on Saturday nights and makes intermediate stops at Glenview and Sturtevant before arriving at the Milwaukee Airport Rail Station at 12:39 a.m., and downtown Milwaukee at 12:54 a.m., about 15 minutes later than the former schedule. On Saturdays during Milwaukee's Summerfest July 1 and July 8, Train 344 will depart Milwaukee at 11:55 p.m. A shuttle bus will also be provided to take passengers from Summerfest grounds to the downtown Milwaukee Intermodal Station. On July 29, Train 344 will again depart Milwaukee at 11:55 p.m., the same night baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers host the Chicago Cubs. Amtrak said that the "midnight specials" will depart the Milwaukee Airport Rail station at 12:05 a.m.; Sturtevant at 12:18 a.m.; Glenview at 12:56 a.m. and will arrive in Chicago at 1:24 a.m. Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago is jointly sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation. More than 815,000 passengers rode in 2016, ranking among the top six Amtrak routes nationally, the carrier said. Flickr image by vxla via Creative Commons license. Continue reading...
