New fares take effect on Amtrak’s Chicago-Milwaukee route

Amtrak riders between Chicago and Milwaukee will now pay new prices for the trip, as fare changes take effect on the popular Hiawatha Service.

Regular fares for the roughly hour-and-a-half trip will now vary between $19 and $31, depending on when they are purchased and estimated demand. The fare had been $25, a price set in 2016.

The change is partly expected to raise money to cover service improvements and costs of the route, which runs round trip seven times each weekday. It is also intended to ease crowding by lowering prices during off-peak times, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson said in a statement.

Ten-ride tickets, which require riders to book seats in advance, will have a new maximum price of $210. Sales of monthly passes have been discontinued because of low use.

The Hiawatha route has also been getting new rail cars, which have wider aisles, better lighting, smoother rides and improvements to charging ports and Wi-Fi. The new cars will continue to arrive into 2024.

Work is also underway at the Hiawatha route stop at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, where another platform is set to be built.

sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com