 The idea of opening an Amtrak station in the vicinity of Mitchell Airport is one that had been discussed since the mid @-@ 1970s . The justification for not building the station at the time was based on infrequent Amtrak service and relatively congestion @-@ free access to the airport from the south by road . By the late 1990s , a station at the airport was proposed as part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative . In June 2001 , the Wisconsin Department of Transportation authorized $ 100 @,@ 000 to start the preliminary design for the station , with an original opening slated for late @-@ 2003 . Although funding was authorized for preliminary work , funding for actual construction had not been secured . 
