http://joliet.patch.com/articles/cash-for-joliet-portion-of-high-speed-rail-allotted
The federal government has earmarked another $154 million to the high-speed rail line, most of which will be devoted to the section of track between Joliet and Wood River, according to a story in the Springfield Journal-Register.
http://www.toledoblade.com/Editorials/2013/05/03/The-road-ahead.html
Building a 21st-century transportation system will take the same commitment and vision that, nearly 60 years ago, launched the interstate highway system.
President Obama has taken a bold and laudable step by proposing to spend $6.6 billion on high-speed rail and related projects next year — and $40 billion over five years to improve intercity passenger service, develop new high-speed rail corridors, and upgrade freight rail.
Governor Quinn announced that Nippon Shayro is pouring another $54 million dollars into its Illinois facility in Rochelle. It is adding 80 permanent local jobs and about 200 construction jobs. Last July,Governor Pat Quinn was joined by Nippon Sharyo executives to open the company’s new U.S. headquarters and passenger railcar production facility in Rochelle, Illinois. At that time, the Japanese train car manufacturer, Nippon Sharyo, said it was investing $50 million and creating 250 new jobs in Rochelle, which will help the company increase its competitiveness by moving closer to its U.S. customers and suppliers.
Media coverage:
http://northernpublicradio.org/post/quinn-lahood-join-groundbreaking-nippon-sharyo-expansion
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/lahood-high-speed-rail-obamas-crowning-glory
http://www.rejournals.com/2013/05/01/nippon-sharyo-to-build-54-million-manufacturing-facility/
http://www.masstransitmag.com/article/10931633/high-speed-expansion-for-high-speed-rail-builder
http://www.wifr.com/home/headlines/Railcar-Company-Adding-Jobs-in-Expansion-205472841.html
http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/local/article_2d7891fa-ae0e-11e2-8f94-001a4bcf6878.html
The public Thursday caught up on the progress of the evolving, higher-speed rail project in Illinois, as well as sites for a transportation facility in Alton.
Representatives from the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois High-Speed Rail set up informative posters throughout Alton City Council Chambers, answered questions and solicited comments. It was one in a series of open house-format events held in the city the past couple of years, rescheduled from April 18 because of bad weather on that date.
“It is very early in the process now, but we are close to completing the environmental portion,” said Drew White of IDOT in Springfield.
http://www.midwesthsr.org/president-pushes-bold-plan-for-passenger-rail
The Obama Administration released its budget request for Fiscal Year 2014 today, and the President has once again put forth a bold plan for transforming and expanding train service in the United States, with $40 billion in passenger rail investment over the next five years.
The Administration’s budget allocates $6.6 billion to the Federal Rail Administration for fiscal 2014, with increasing amounts each subsequent year through 2019, then decreasing amounts to 2023. The request will be a boost for Amtrak, coming a day before the House Committee on Transportation holds a hearing on the railroad’s FY 2014 budget. The hearing, Amtrak’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget: The Starting Point for Reauthorization [which will be streamed live], will address Amtrak’s funding needs, as well as the coming rail reauthorization (the current law will expire at the end of this September). Amtrak announced yesterday it had set a new ridership record during the first half of this fiscal year, and will be looking to translate its steady increase in popularity into an increase its funding for badly needed equipment purchases and infrastructure upgrades.
http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1545199535/-154-million-in-additional-rail-improvements-planned
Another $154 million worth of track, bridge and safety improvements are planned over the next five summers to accommodate 110-mph passenger trains between St. Louis and Chicago.
The Illinois Department of Transportation and Union Pacific railroad have scheduled an April 23 meeting in Springfield for contractors and subcontractors who are interested in paving, track construction, traffic control, safety fencing, bridge and culvert replacement, as well as other improvements along the corridor. The upgrades include the Third Street corridor in Springfield.
President Barack Obama emphasized advancing climate change and clean energy solutions as a second-term priority.
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CHICAGO – Governor Pat Quinn announced today that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has named Illinois to lead the multi-state procurement of next-generation locomotives for high-speed rail. With the consent of the partnering states, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will lead the effort to procure at least 35 next-generation diesel locomotives for high-speed passenger trains on behalf of five states – Illinois, California, Michigan, Missouri and Washington. Today’s announcement is part of the governor’s commitment to bring Illinois’ and our nation’s transportation systems into the 21st century.
“This decision by the federal government is a testament to Illinois’ role as a national leader in high-speed rail,” Governor Quinn said. “This important multi-state procurement is a key to success for high-speed rail throughout the nation, and I have directed my administration to move forward quickly.”
The FRA has allocated $808 million to build the next generation of passenger rail equipment, including 35 new locomotives and 130 bi-level rail cars. As lead agency, IDOT will manage and oversee the procurement, involve the other states in planning and implementing the procurement process, develop a detailed project plan, and coordinate the review of the procurement among the involved states and FRA.
“Following significant analysis and consideration, FRA recommends that IDOT be the lead agency for the multi-state locomotive procurement,” the FRA stated in their decision letter. “We are confident that your team – jointly with the significant contributions from California, Michigan, Missouri and Washington – will manage the procurement process and stakeholder involvement that will lead to a successful contract award.”
“We are thrilled in Illinois to have the confidence of the FRA and Governor Quinn as we move forward with this crucial procurement effort,” Illinois Secretary of Transportation Ann L. Schneider said. “Our goal is to offer 110-mile-per-hour service on at least 75 percent of the Chicago-St. Louis corridor – the segment from Dwight to Alton – by the end of 2015, and these locomotives are the key to achieving that goal. It takes time to build these complex and powerful engines, however, and we are moving quickly to get this procurement under way as soon as possible.”
Last year, IDOT was part of a multi-state procurement of the 130 next-generation bi-level rail cars for high-speed service, an effort led by the state of California. That procurement resulted in the selection of Nippon-Sharyo, which is building the rail cars from its plant in Rochelle, Illinois, including the 88 cars to be used on Midwest high-speed corridors. The Rochelle plant opened in 2012 and has created 250 jobs in Illinois.
Illinois debuted 110-mph service on a 15-mile segment of the Chicago-St. Louis corridor from Dwight to Pontiac in fall 2012, and IDOT is working with the private railroads and FRA to ensure that positive train control requirements and all needed track and crossing improvements are completed in order to expand 110-mph service as much as possible in the years ahead. The FRA in December provided a Record of Decision on the entire Chicago-St. Louis corridor, allowing Illinois to begin in-depth corridor segment studies and specific project studies to move toward high-speed service on the other 25 percent of the corridor as soon as possible, including segments from Joliet to Chicago and from Alton to St. Louis. The segment from Dwight to Joliet is under development and is expected to offer 110-mph service in 2017.
Illinois also is working in close partnership with the state of Michigan to establish 110-mph service from Chicago to Detroit as the next Midwest segment targeted to run at higher speeds.
The state helps fund 28 Amtrak trains serving four corridors including those from Chicago to Milwaukee and St. Louis. The partnership with Amtrak has led to a steady increase in ridership in recent years. The state-supported corridors together carried a record 1.8 million passengers last year. Ridership growth in Illinois has been exceptional, up more than 92 percent overall since 2006, and up on the Chicago to St. Louis corridor by 224 percent.
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http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/12/transportation-secretary-americans-want-to-get-out-of-their-cars-video/
