Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has pledged an additional $102 million in right-of-way upgrades for higher-speed rail (HrSR) improvements to accelerate passenger rail travel times between Chicago and St. Louis.
The governor, making the announcement Sunday, Aug. 31, 2014, said the money will help double-track right-of-way between Mazonia and Elwood, Ill., and include a new rail bridge spanning the Kankakee River, located between Joliet and Dwight, Ill.
Illinois, a leader among Midwest states improving passenger rail conditions, has committed $358.8 million to the $1.7 billion Chicago-St. Louis upgrade, with federal funds supplying most of the remainder. The majority of the route, used by Amtrak, is owned by Union Pacific.
Last October a study funded by Illinois found true high speed rail (HSR) operations in the Midwest, while costly to implement, would be feasible and might even cover operating costs once implemented.
The two-year project between Mazonia and Elwood is supposed to reduce travel time between the endpoint cities by one hour, to 4 ½ hours total, Gov. Quinn said in a prepared statement.
The state has committed $358.8 million to the Chicago-St. Louis route, with the remainder of the $1.7 billion project federally funded.