Hey, check it out! The West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition sent out a press release yesterday detailing how the Wis. Department of Transportation has been revising its Connections 2030 high speed rail plan. Among the changes: a possible stop in Eau Claire. So West Central Wisconsin might play a larger role in the Chicago to Twin Cities network than previously thought. The actual stops will need to be approved after environmental and engineering studies. From the press release:

• [Eau Claire and La Crosse] could gain service as part of phase 2 of the state’s planned rail network, if the West Central Wisconsin route is selected for inclusion in the planned Madison-Twin Cities line. Previously, state plans showed service using only the existing Amtrak route via La Crosse, but WisDOT’s revised document now shows routes via both Eau Claire and La Crosse with the notation, “Route(s) to be determined during environmental/preliminary engineering study.”

Read the whole press release over at WEAU.com. There’s going to be more public comment sessions, including one in Eau Claire on August 20.