Wisconsin manufacturers might still be in line for high-speed rail production

Although a high-speed rail line that was proposed for Wisconsin is instead being built across the state of Illinois just south of the border, some Wisconsin manufacturers ultimately may benefit from the expansion of high-speed rail across the nation anyway, according to a new report by the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC).

The organization has identified 73 Wisconsin supply chain companies —mostly manufacturers — and more than 460 companies throughout the Midwest that have the potential to gain production and jobs from work to build high-speed passenger rail lines across the nation.The Chicago-based environmental advocacy organization named the companies in a recently released report titled, "Midwest High-Speed Rail Supply Chain," which documented the possible benefits of high-speed passenger rail construction on manufacturing jobs and economic growth.

"We at the Environmental Law & Policy Center for a very long time have spoken about the environmental and transportation benefits of high-speed rail," said Kevin Brubaker, deputy director of ELPC. "We wanted to take a hard look at the economic development and job creation associated with actually building a network."The report looked at supply chain companies that manufacture necessary materials and components, including seats, lights, flooring and brakes that original equipment manufacturers (OEM) use in making trains.