Posted Monday, June 25, 2012 --- 6:55 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The federal government has reimbursed Wisconsin for money the state spent on a high-speed rail plan.

Under former Gov. Jim Doyle, the state spent $9 million of a federal rail grant to link Milwaukee and Madison by high-speed rail. The state was also on the hook for more than $5 million in cancellation fees and other commitments.

Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican Legislature terminated the rail plan, saying the state should not be responsible for its operating costs. Walker said transportation officials promised to reimburse the state for the money already spent.

Meanwhile, Minnesota officials are trying to keep high-speed rail hopes alive. The Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/PYfFd9 ) says a study calls for upgrading the Empire Builder route between Chicago and the Twin Cities. The Empire Builder has stops in Milwaukee and other Wisconsin communities.

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Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com

Copyright 2012. The Associated Press.