MIWLAUKEE (WSAU) An advocacy group plans to hold a rally in Milwaukee today to protest the scrapping of the high-speed train to Madison. Citizen Action of Wisconsin said Governor-elect Scott Walker cost the state 1,300 jobs by opposing the line. Walker said not enough people would ride the train because it’s faster and more convenient to drive between Milwaukee and Madison – and the state couldn’t afford the operating costs.

Last week the federal government pulled the 810-million federal stimulus dollars for the Wisconsin states. The money went to states that want high-speed rail. Citizen Action says it will demand that Walker focus on creating jobs for Milwaukee when he calls a special session of the Legislature in January on the economy. Citizen Action also plans to hold a town hall meeting on Thursday near the Talgo train plant in Milwaukee. That plant will close in 2012 after it makes other trains – and it plans to move to a state that got some of Wisconsin’s funding.