“I’ll take this any day,” says one traveler who found solace on the train from Milwaukee to Chicago — a key route for the state’s Amtrak expansion. Aboard Amtrak’s Hiawatha service, quiet conversations complement the rumble of steel wheels maneuvering along the tracks. En route to Chicago Union Station, passengers ride along an Amtrak system forged by the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, which sought to revitalize American train travel. In late December, I rode a sold-out Hiawatha train from Milwaukee to Chicago. Fajemisin said riding the 90-minute Hiawatha route made the most sense since his dad works near Chicago Union Station.