High Speed Rail Alliance

Last Friday's transit talk, "Averting the Cliff: The Road to Regional & High-Speed Rail" was supposed to feature State Rep. Kam Buckner, co-leader of the House's Public Transit Working Group, but he couldn't make it. So the question of who would take his place was a bit of a cliffhanger: Who would fill Buckner's Nikes?

A major development in Illinois could ripple far beyond the Midwest – reshaping how America thinks about high-speed and intercity rail.

Good news for rail fans: Recently, Illinois legislators discussed a groundbreaking bill to launch statewide train service.

Earlier this month, The Travel mentioned Chicago Union Station – along with Baltimore's Penn Station – as being one of two American Amtrak stops that needs a revamp. "Much of the [Chicago] station’s infrastructure feels outdated and disconnected," the website noted. "The lower-level concourses, where most passengers navigate, lack the charm and appeal of the main hall... The station’s confusing layout and aging facilities often frustrate travelers."

More than 100 people showed up for a talk where Ald. Ramirez-Rosa said a resolution has been submitted calling for creative solutions to save the Greyhound station.

If the funding is approved, Amtrak would use the cash from a federal Mega Grant to upgrade the terminal, create more rail routes into the city, and launch a variety of new services.  

“The system would be useful for so many more people,” said executive director Rick Harnish. “It really would be a game-changer for Chicago-area transit.”

"Transformational ideas may be controversial, but that is not an excuse to avoid them," the letter states. "We need serious and specific proposals to maintain the foundational roles transit plays."