April 8, 2012

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett met Wednesday with workers at a local railroad facility trying to put a stop to dozens of potential layoffs.

Talgo, the company once tasked with building high-speed rail in Wisconsin, now stands to layoff 35 workers after the 2009 project was mothballed and the state removed funding for a maintenance facility in 2012.

“These are beautiful trains,” mechanic James Spence said. “With this plant closing and not a chance of a maintenance facility … I’ll be out of a job.”
Barrett visited the plant with Rep. Gwen Moore.

MILWAUKEE– Dozens of Talgo employees are now out of work. The train maker company will close its doors and leave Milwaukee this summer.

This after Governor Scott Walker denied federal funding to build a passenger rail line from Milwaukee to Madison back in 2010. When the money left the state, Talgo decided to follow. Maintenance work will continue, but even that is now called into question.

“Milwaukee was going to be a major center for building trains, and now we’re at risk of having that cancelled,” said Congresswoman Gwen Moore.