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The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) have approved the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the full build-out of the Chicago-St. Louis high-speed rail corridor, according to a press release issued today by Gov. Pat Quinn's office.

The EIS narrowed down the preferred route alternatives, and includes IDOT's preferred Chicago-Joliet route — the Rock Island Corridor — rather than the existing Heritage route. The $1 billion it would cost to upgrade the Rock Island route is $500 million less than the Heritage corridor, mainly because fewer grade separations would be needed, according to the press release.

The EIS also includes a Tier 2 project-level evaluation for the Springfield Rail Improvement Project, which would consolidate a train route along 10th Street through Springfield.

The EIS represents significant progress on the next stage of the high-speed rail project after upgrades are completed along the Dwight-Alton portion of the route, expected as early as 2015, and the Dwight-Joliet Section, anticipated in 2017.

The FRA could issue a Record of Decision on the EIS by year's end.

IDOT has received more than $1.4 billion in federal funds to develop high-speed rail service between Chicago and St. Louis and contributed another $42 million in state capital program funds for the project. In October, IDOT tested trains traveling at 110 mph between Dwight and Pontiac.