Illinois bill would create high-speed rail commission

The Illinois General Assembly has sent Gov. J.B. Pritzker a bill that would create the High-Speed Railway Commission. 

The commission would be tasked with developing a statewide plan for a high-speed rail line and feeder network connecting St. Louis and Chicago that includes current existing Amtrak and Metra services, connects the cities of Rockford, Moline, Peoria and Decatur, and uses intercity bus service to coordinate with the rail line, according to a press release issued by the High Speed Rail Alliance (HSRA).

“The commission will provide a forum that the Illinois Department of Transportation can use to go from its current wish-list of projects to a true, statewide plan,” said HSRA Executive Director Rick Harnish. “HSRA has been an advocate for creating this commission for more than three years. This is a major step forward for our alliance and for the nation.”

The bill requires the commission’s plan to include a ridership study, findings and recommendations concerning a governance structure, frequency of service and implementation. An annual report would go to the General Assembly and the governor no later than Dec. 31 of each year.

The commission would include appointees by the governor, the four top leaders in the General Assembly, the state transportation secretary, chairs of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, Interstate Commerce Commission and Metra's board, the Chicago mayor, a rail workers union, a rail-industry trade group, the Metropolitan Mayors and Managers Association, Illinois Railroad Association, the University of Illinois System, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the Illinois Municipal League, the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, and regional planning agencies from the Rockford, Bloomington and Metro East (St. Louis) areas. The commission is authorized to work from the bill’s signing through 2026.

Read the bill here.