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Illinois Pushes for Money for High Speed Rail
Illinois politicians are seeking federal money as a way to pay for better train service.

Illinois is making a pitch to improve the St. Louis to Chicago train route to get some of that money. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin says the plan will have to compete with proposals from around the country but he says it's a promising entry, given the increases of ridership after the state committed state funds to increase frequency of service when gas prices rose last year.

Durbin says the US Department of Transportation wall act soon disbursing $8 billion for inner-city passenger rail projects. "In just a few weeks, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is going to present to all of the states of the nation, the criteria they're going to use to award this money, to improve rail service," Durbin said. "We want to make certain that Illinosi is first, Illinois will have the best proposal, and we're going to move forward to secure federal funds."

Trains on the current route from St. Louis to Chicago travel at a maximum of nearly 80 miles per hour. The proposal envisions at least 110 miles per hour and a maximum speed over more of the route. The cost will range ranges from $200 million to $800 million, depending on improvements that would need to be made. Some improvements include track and signal repair, and grade separations would be needed for roads and other railrods that cross the route.

The goal is to make the 285-mile trip in less than four hours by 2014.
03 16 09 by Newsroom
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