RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Nearly 30 years after the idea was first formally explored, a new commission was born Friday with the goal of finally delivering a passenger rail system that connects Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha while also providing a new link between Milwaukee and Chicago.

Representatives from the three southeast Wisconsin cities formally approved creation of the Milwaukee Area-Racine-Kenosha Passenger Rail Commission, called 'MARK.'

The nine-member commission held its first meeting Friday at Racine City Hall, and it immediately undertook what members believe is a vital step; they approved a formal agreement with the Chicago-based Metra commuter rail system.

Metra currently runs routes throughout Chicago and its suburbs, but the system is already exploring another regional project with Rockford. Racine Mayor Cory Mason said the partnership made lots of sense since Metra currently stops in Kenosha.

"One possible opportunity as we do this study is, 'Should Metra just keep going [to Racine and Milwaukee]?' So, that's one possibility," Mason said. "Previous possibilities talked about we would have a different provider, and then, you get off the train in Kenosha and have to switch trains."

Another commission member, Milwaukee Ald. Robert Bauman, vouched for Metra to take the lead on how the new line would run.

"Metra would be the natural operator of this service," he said. "Because they have all the expertise and the infrastructure to do that."

Both Bauman and Mason said the MARK rail option could prove more attractive to riders than the Amtrak Hiawatha, which currently runs seven daily round-trip rides between Milwaukee and Chicago.

While the Hiawatha uses Canadian Pacific tracks, the MARK train would use a stretch of Union Pacific railroad that cuts through the downtown areas of both Racine and Kenosha. 

"It serves the major population centers in the corridor better," Bauman said. "It goes through the city of Kenosha, through the heart of Kenosha. It goes through the heart of the city of Racine."

Too soon to know costs

Mason said it was still so early in the process, the commission did not have a cost estimate for the project.

He added it would have a cheaper price tag than the most recent effort, the KRM commuter rail project. Mason said a key difference was the KRM was planned around developments that would surround new stations along the route.

The MARK would instead stop only in downtown Kenosha and Racine, Mitchell Airport and the Milwaukee Intermodal Station.

"If you have fewer stops," Mason said, "It becomes a more affordable project."

Bauman indicated he was a bit skeptical of how the commission plans to pay for the project. He estimated it would cost at least $100 million, with work needed to improve the rails to accommodate faster passenger trains, as well as new or renovated stations in Racine and Kenosha.

He questioned just how willing the Trump administration would be to spend millions on a passenger rail project between Milwaukee and Chicago.

"I wonder about the optimism that was expressed regarding the availability of federal funds to do the study part of the process," Bauman said. "Much less the much bigger numbers required for actual construction."

Mason was more hopeful. He pointed to a $7.2 billion fund made available through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The money came from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by former President Joe Biden, and it is dedicated to intercity rail projects.

"The fact there's billions of federal funds available; this is every bit as important as an interstate project," Mason said. "And again, having Milwaukee and Chicago not connected this way seems like an oversight, so it's a great opportunity."

A train 30 years in the making

The idea of a modern passenger train connecting Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha dates back to a 1998 study, according to the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC). 

While past efforts have fallen apart, the MARK commission believes this push will benefit from a simplified approach and the partnership with Metra.

A representative from the Illinois Department of Transportation was at Friday's meeting, and the commission noted representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation have sat in on past planning meetings.

Mason said MARK is breaking its timeline into a six-step process, and the commission is still on the first step. If the commission can successfully navigate funding, study, design and construction obstacles, a loose timeline called for construction to be completed around 2031.

"Too soon to say how much, too soon to say how soon," Mason said. "But just the fact the three cities have established this inter-governmental commission so that we could be in the best possible space to apply for these funds, it's an exciting day."