Railroad expert in favor of doubling Empire Builder stops in La Crosse

MnDot held informational meeting about its intentions to increase passenger rail 

Riding the rails seems to be catching on in the Midwest, according to a La Crosse area railroad enthusiast.

John Parkyn is the long-time head of the Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers.

He was among the people who attended an informational meeting about train travel Wednesday night at the La Crosse County administrative center.

Parkyn says railroads have one economic advantage that other forms of transportation do not.

“Railroads pay property tax,” he said. “The highways are exempt. The airports are exempt. So, if you’re for private business, you need to support rail passenger.”

Parkyn recalls that years ago, there was a push for six train stops a day in La Crosse, with passenger trains traveling over 100 miles an hour.

The current plan is to have four stops per day by the Empire Builder train.

The Minnesota Dept. of Transportation is promoting expanded passenger train service in the region with two public meetings this week. Another is in St. Paul tonight.

The current idea is to double the Empire Builder service through La Crosse.

Parkyn says a previous suggestion of high-speed rail service through Wisconsin was made a few years ago, when former governor Tommy Thompson was the head of Amtrak.