The construction and implementation of TCMC is currently estimated at $76 million, Rao said. Federal grants should cover about 70 to 80 percent of the total cost, he added. It is not yet known how much money the states and Amtrak would need to pay from that amount, but Rao estimated Wisconsin’s contribution at roughly $10 million.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed budget sets aside $45 million for passenger rail and prioritizes improvements to Amtrak’s Hiawatha line between Milwaukee and Chicago. If TCMC does not get the money it needs for TCMC’s final design from the state budget this summer, the timeline for launching TCMC could be delayed by a couple years, Rao said.

Because the proposed route for TCMC is less than 750 miles, its annual operating costs would be shouldered by the states and not Amtrak.

Ongoing operating costs for TCMC are estimated at $5.5 million and would be split among Wisconsin and Minnesota and possibly Illinois, Rao said.

“And the goal would be for that number to go down as the ridership and revenue matures,” Rao said of operating costs.

Amtrak estimates 155,000 riders would use TCMC in the first year, including 11,000 users in Portage.