GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The last passenger service left Green Bay in 1971. But could Green Bay’s 2025 NFL Draft be the driving force behind its comeback, even if just temporarily?
“You know, the Packers and railroads go way back,” said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy.
Murphy seems to believe that just might be the case.
“We are in discussions with Amtrak and we’re hopeful that for the draft next spring, we will have Amtrak service up from Milwaukee for the draft. That would be a great way to introduce people to train service,” Murphy said on Thursday at a groundbreaking ceremony for the National Railroad Museum’s $15 million expansion.
On Friday, the Packers clarified with FOX 11 that as of now, there’s no update to that project.
They added, however, that they still support efforts to establish a temporary route for the draft and a permanent route for the future.
It was announced in December that a permanent route from Milwaukee to Green Bay is being studied.
“We’re anticipating there would certainly be a demand for it,” said Eric DeKorne with the Greater Green Bay Chamber in December.
Those who support the railway passenger train expansion say it creates vital connections for many, and it always pays off.
“The more trains you put on a line, the passenger numbers don’t go up just like the number of trains, they go up exponentially,” says Nona Hill, with the Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers and All Aboard Wisconsin. “Because as you make it more convenient for people to travel by rail, they do so.”
Advocates like Hill add that establishing a temporary line would be foolish if there are no plans for permanency, because permanent rails come with booming economic opportunities.
“What it takes is political will. We can do this,” Hill adds. “It’s not more expensive, there’s help from the federal government. It’s not more expensive than highways — it’s less expensive than highways and it can move more people.”
FOX 11 reached out to Amtrak and the Greater Green Bay Chamber to ask about project updates, but our calls have not yet been returned.
So for now, there’s still hope from many, including Packers leadership, that railways could make a comeback.
“With the recent designation of our area as a corridor to be explored and researched for potential passenger train service, it’s exciting to think about fans may be able to someday soon hop on a train down in Chicago — although hopefully, we wouldn’t have too many Bears fans – coming up from Milwaukee to go to a game here someday,” Murphy added.
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