Amtrak trains to, from Chicago delayed by Wisconsin flooding

TOMAH, Wis. — An Amtrak train bound for Chicago and one bound for the Pacific Northwest from Chicago were delayed by nearly a day because of heavy flooding Tuesday in central Wisconsin.

Train 7/27, which runs from Chicago to Seattle via St. Paul on Amtrak’s Empire Builder line, was operating more than 18 hours behind schedule Wednesday afternoon after it was forced to stop near Tomah in western Wisconsin, according to Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari.

Train 8/28, which runs from Seattle to Chicago, was operating more than 22 hours behind schedule after stopping near Portage in south-central Wisconsin.

There were 218 passengers aboard the eastbound train and 267 aboard the westbound train while they sat on the tracks overnight, according to Magliari. He said passengers were given complimentary food and water and the trains are designed to accommodate passengers overnight.

The full 2,205-mile trip on the Empire Builder line between Chicago and Seattle typically takes 46 hours, according to Amtrak schedules.

Up to a foot of rain fell over parts of Wisconsin from Monday through Tuesday. The flooding in Harrison in Calumet County swept an 11-year-old boy into a sewer before he was rescued by firefighters.

Contributing: Associated Press