Midwest Regional High-Speed Rail System

[Sodak]

The proposed system would include a line from Chicago to Omaha and possibly Lincoln. There is a website with more information:

http://www.midwesthsr.org



Regional Train Plan Studied

By CAROL ANN RIHA
Associated Press

published: 12/15/2004

Chicago would be hub for Midwestern high-speed rail

DES MOINES - A high-speed rail network radiating from Chicago's Union Station through nine Midwestern states could carry 13.6 million passengers annually by 2025, according to a new report.

The Midwest Regional Rail System report released Tuesday confirms the viability of a 3,000-mile rail network stretching through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin, said Mark Wandro, Iowa's transportation director.

Trains would travel at speeds of up to 110 mph, cutting hours off trips between major cities.

The study, led by Transportation Economics & Management Systems Inc., a Frederick, Md.-based consulting firm, said significantly reduced travel times, increased frequency of service, improved reliability and connections to other forms of transportation would be a big draw to passengers.

Wandro said the network would be phased in over a 10-year period at a cost of $7.7 billion for new equipment and track and signal improvements.

"This is an incremental and phased plan for improved passenger rail service. However, it will require significant federal funding for it to be implemented," Wandro said.

John Schwalbach, chief of the bureau of railroads for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said the "hub-and-spoke" system would allow for passenger rail travel from downtown to downtown.

"You can go from downtown Chicago, to downtown St. Louis, to downtown Milwaukee," he said. "You don't have to worry so much about parking issues."

Schwalbach said some track improvements already have been made in Illinois. A stretch from Mazonia to Springfield has been upgraded to carry higher speed trains, and a new signal system is being installed, he said.

[Coyote]

I was just reading the same article on a different site:

Study backs regional rail
Would connect 9 Midwest states

A high-speed rail network radiating from Chicago's Union Station through nine Midwestern states could carry 13.6 million passengers annually by 2025, according to a new report.

The Midwest Regional Rail System report released Tuesday confirms the viability of a 3,000-mile rail network stretching through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Trains would travel at speeds of up to 110 mph, cutting hours off trips between major cities.

Trains would run from Chicago to Milwaukee and up through the Fox River Valley to Green Bay. Another line would run from Milwaukee to Madison and then northwest to La Crosse and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The system also would have high-speed service to Omaha, Neb.; St. Louis; Indianapolis; Detroit; Ft. Wayne, Ind.; Toledo; Cincinnati and Cleveland.



The study, led by Transportation Economics & Management Systems Inc., a Frederick, Md.-based consulting firm, said significantly reduced travel times, increased frequency of service, improved reliability and connections to other forms of transportation would be a big draw to passengers.

Mark Wandro, the Iowa director of transportation, said the network would be phased in over a 10-year period at a cost of $7.7 billion for new equipment and track and signal improvements.

"This is an incremental and phased plan for improved passenger rail service. However, it will require significant federal funding for it to be implemented," Wandro said.

John Schwalbach, chief of the bureau of railroads for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said the "hub-and-spoke" system would allow for passenger rail travel from downtown to downtown.

"You can go from downtown Chicago, to downtown St. Louis, to downtown Milwaukee," he said. "You don't have to worry so much about parking issues."

Schwalbach said some track improvements already have been made in Illinois.

But in Iowa, rail officials would be starting from scratch, said John Hey, an analyst with the Iowa Department of Transportation.

"We've not invested any money yet. We're waiting for a federal program," he said. "Some of the other states have because they've been in partnership with Amtrak for a number of years ... Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan."

Officials said the new report not only increases awareness of the Midwest rail plan, but also shows Congress that there has been in-depth study.

"If and when funding becomes available, the Midwest has developed a plan," Schwalbach said.

"The DOTs in the central part of the country have looked at this and think it's a viable alternative and important part of our transportation system," he said.

Hey said it also is important that the plan is ready to go.

"We have nine states that have cooperated on this and tried to bring it to fruition. Hopefully, it will be looked at favorably compared to other states just getting started," he said.

On the Web: http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/rail.htm

[DMRyan]

At a cost of nearly $8 billion dollars, up from a $4 billion dollar estimate several years prior. In concept it's great but it ain't happening anytime soon folks. We would rather continue to subsidize the air travel industry more than passenger rail. Omaha was originally proposed to be included into the network in 2015, but that will continue to be pushed back the longer this plan sits on the shelf. I wonder if they've even gotten any funds from the government yet besides the intial costs of the study.

[almighty_tuna]

I'm looking at the map and a line from Omaha to KC seems a natural progression. Also from Cleveland to Cincinnati among others. This would be great and I hope it doesn't stay a pipe dream. I feel good that Omaha was at least included in the plan. But my selfishness states that we deserve a priority line, too...even though we really don't!

[DMRyan]

There are several lines that probably should be considered priority lines. Chicago-South Bend-Toledo-Cleveland and Chicago-Indy-Cincy.

The Omaha-DSM-Quad Cities line would make sense to be somewhat of a priority. Even with three decent sized cities on the line, it just wouldn't serve the amount a people a line would further east in Wisconsin or Ohio would.

[StreetsOfOmaha]

They should treat it like a huge metropolitan interstate system, with an outer loop. I'm just thinking it would be nice to be directly connected to KC and Minneapolis as well.

It's a long shot, but I really hope America gets its act together and does this.