Lawmakers tout Illinois as site for rail research 'center of excellence'

Federal lawmakers representing Illinois are calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to consider their state as a home for a University Rail Research and Development Center of Excellence.

In a July 21 letter to Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Reps. Marie Newman and Mike Quigley (all D-Ill.) highlighted a provision in the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that they authored to establish a University Rail Research and Development Center of Excellence. Such centers advance research and development to improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of passenger- and freight-rail transportation.

"As the nation’s rail hub, Illinois is well-positioned to support this Center of Excellence," the lawmakers wrote. "Illinois has the largest concentration of rail suppliers in the nation. Chicago not only serves as the hub of Amtrak's Midwest passenger rail network but is [also] home to Metra, one of the largest commuter railroads in the nation."

The lawmakers also touted the University of Illinois and its relationships with rail transportation and local governments as being ideal for the location of a center of excellence.