The companies, however, are not participating in any type of talks about future rail service, he insisted.

"The way that Gary’s email portrays it, it's as if a meeting has been called," he said.

Goyke maintained there indeed would be rail company representatives on board, but later apologized if he was misinformed about which companies would be participating.

"It was certainly not deliberate on my part," he said. "I was operating with the best of instructions and intentions with high hopes for a great informational event."

In 2010, then Gov.-elect Scott Walker declared "dead" the plans for a high-speed rail line linking Madison to Milwaukee, intended to be a part of a larger Midwest rail network. Although it would have been almost entirely federally-funded, Walker cited the projected $10 million it would cost the state to maintain the line annually to justify rejecting the $800 million project.

Downtown Madison Ald. Scott Resnick, who plans to take part in the June 21 train ride to Crawford, said he was optimistic the meetings could lead to big things.

“This announcement is a game-changer," Resnick said Wednesday. "I’m more than excited to see that the idea of a train is alive and well and the goal of doing this without local or state subsidies could provide sustainable transportation from Madison to Chicago is very exciting.”

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