Eric Courtney, an Amtrak conductor, checks passengers’ tickets aboard the Amtrak Hiawatha service in Milwaukee. Courtney says he has worked as an Amtrak conductor for 16 years since moving to Wisconsin from Texas. (Photos by Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)

“I’ll take this any day,” says one traveler who found solace on the train from Milwaukee to Chicago — a key route for the state’s Amtrak expansion.

By Joe Timmerman

Wisconsin Watch

This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org .

Aboard Amtrak’s Hiawatha service, quiet conversations complement the rumble of steel wheels maneuvering along the tracks.

A fresh layer of snow covers the ground whi

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