Derailed

Derailed

Wisconsin Public Radio

In 2010, Wisconsin got a federal grant to build a high-speed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee. Derailed is the story of how the rail project came together, how it fell apart and how Wisconsin changed along the way.

Introducing WPR Reports: Mapped Out

Introducing WPR Reports: Mapped Out

From the team that brought you "Derailed," subscribe to hear "Mapped Out," a new, six-part series debuting in September that will give the lowdown on Wisconsin's redistricting past and let listeners know what the next set of maps could mean. Subscribe at "WPR Reports" wherever you get your podcasts.

Sep 25, 2021 • 0:00

Bonus Episode

Bonus Episode

Because the story of "Derailed" happened over the course of decades, there's a lot there, and a lot we didn't get to. Some of it, like Gov. Jim Doyle's role in ending the train, is still discussed today. Other stuff, like the 2016 Olympics connection, seems to have been lost to history. Here are some of the questions we didn't get to in "Derailed.

Nov 26, 2019 • 0:00

Bonus Episode

Bonus Episode

Because the story of "Derailed" happened over the course of decades, there's a lot there, and a lot we didn't get to. Some of it, like Gov. Jim Doyle's role in ending the train, is still discussed today. Other stuff, like the 2016 Olympics connection, seems to have been lost to history. Here are some of the questions we didn't get to in "Derailed.

Nov 26, 2019 • 0:00

Lame Duck, The Olympics And The Future Of High-Speed Rail 

Lame Duck, The Olympics And The Future Of High-Speed Rail 

Bonus Episode

Nov 26, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 6: Times Change

Episode 6: Times Change

When former Gov. Tommy Thompson decided to return to politics in 2012, he was walking into a Wisconsin that was as divided as ever. The game had changed, and Thompson had to play by a new set of rules. That meant a new take on some of his old positions, including the train.

Nov 13, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 6: Times Change

Episode 6: Times Change

When former Gov. Tommy Thompson decided to return to politics in 2012, he was walking into a Wisconsin that was as divided as ever. The game had changed, and Thompson had to play by a new set of rules. That meant a new take on some of his old positions, including the train.

Nov 13, 2019 • 0:00

As Politics Evolved, Wisconsin’s Train Was Along For The Ride

As Politics Evolved, Wisconsin’s Train Was Along For The Ride

Times Change

Nov 13, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 5: Going Nowhere

Episode 5: Going Nowhere

Before Gov. Scott Walker canceled the high-speed rail line that would have connected Madison to Milwaukee in 2010, Wisconsin bought two trains from a Spanish company named Talgo. The story of these trains is messy. And in a way, they're the physical reminder of the debate Wisconsin had almost a decade ago.

Nov 6, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 5: Going Nowhere

Episode 5: Going Nowhere

Before Gov. Scott Walker canceled the high-speed rail line that would have connected Madison to Milwaukee in 2010, Wisconsin bought two trains from a Spanish company named Talgo. The story of these trains is messy. And in a way, they're the physical reminder of the debate Wisconsin had almost a decade ago.

Nov 6, 2019 • 0:00

Years After Rail Saga, Wisconsin’s Talgo Trains Sit Idle

Years After Rail Saga, Wisconsin’s Talgo Trains Sit Idle

Going Nowhere

Nov 6, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 4: The Fast Train

Episode 4: The Fast Train

When Wisconsin rejected $810 million in federal stimulus money for high-speed rail, the money was redistributed to other states. California got the largest chunk to go toward a rail line connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles, a project that is still ongoing.

Oct 30, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 4: The Fast Train

Episode 4: The Fast Train

When Wisconsin rejected $810 million in federal stimulus money for high-speed rail, the money was redistributed to other states. California got the largest chunk to go toward a rail line connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles, a project that is still ongoing.

Oct 30, 2019 • 0:00

The High-Speed Rail Debate Persists In California

The High-Speed Rail Debate Persists In California

The Fast Train

Oct 30, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 3: Boondoggle

Episode 3: Boondoggle

In 2010, Democrats controlled everything, from the White House, to Congress, to the governor's office to the Wisconsin state Legislature. Republicans were pushing back, and the Tea Party was in full swing. But something was changing in American politics and in Wisconsin — and Scott Walker used the high-speed rail plan to seize the moment.

Oct 23, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 3: Boondoggle

Episode 3: Boondoggle

In 2010, Democrats controlled everything, from the White House, to Congress, to the governor's office to the Wisconsin state Legislature. Republicans were pushing back, and the Tea Party was in full swing. But something was changing in American politics and in Wisconsin — and Scott Walker used the high-speed rail plan to seize the moment.

Oct 23, 2019 • 0:00

As Political Winds Change, Walker Uses Train To Seize The Moment

As Political Winds Change, Walker Uses Train To Seize The Moment

Boondoggle

Oct 23, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 2: Every Single Dime

Episode 2: Every Single Dime

Almost a decade after it was first unveiled, the Great Recession and President Barack Obama's federal stimulus bill gave Wisconsin's plan for a high-speed rail line new life.

Oct 16, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 2: Every Single Dime

Episode 2: Every Single Dime

Almost a decade after it was first unveiled, the Great Recession and President Barack Obama's federal stimulus bill gave Wisconsin's plan for a high-speed rail line new life.

Oct 16, 2019 • 0:00

Wisconsin’s Stimulus Rail Funding Grew From The Great Recession

Wisconsin’s Stimulus Rail Funding Grew From The Great Recession

Every Single Dime

Oct 16, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 1: Tommy's Train

Episode 1: Tommy's Train

Even if you remember that it was Gov. Scott Walker who wanted to kill the high-speed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee, there's a chance you don't remember who started it. It wasn't Walker's Democratic opponent in 2010, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Or the governor before Walker, Democrat Jim Doyle. Instead it was Wisconsin's longest-serving governor — a Republican governor — Gov. Tommy Thompson.

Oct 9, 2019 • 0:00

Episode 1: Tommy's Train

Episode 1: Tommy's Train

Even if you remember that it was Gov. Scott Walker who wanted to kill the high-speed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee, there's a chance you don't remember who started it. It wasn't Walker's Democratic opponent in 2010, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Or the governor before Walker, Democrat Jim Doyle. Instead it was Wisconsin's longest-serving governor — a Republican governor — Gov. Tommy Thompson.

Oct 9, 2019 • 0:00

Wisconsin’s High-Speed Rail Saga Was Decades In The Making

Wisconsin’s High-Speed Rail Saga Was Decades In The Making

Tommy's Train

Oct 9, 2019 • 0:00

Coming Soon: Derailed

Coming Soon: Derailed

In 2010, Wisconsin got a federal grant to build a high-speed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee. Derailed is the story of how the rail project came together, how it fell apart and how Wisconsin changed along the way.

Sep 23, 2019 • 0:00

Coming Soon: Derailed

Coming Soon: Derailed

In 2010, Wisconsin got a federal grant to build a high-speed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee. Derailed is the story of how the rail project came together, how it fell apart and how Wisconsin changed along the way.

Sep 23, 2019 • 0:00

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