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Today, the Midwest High Speed Rail Association (MHSRA) released results from a study that examines the impact a 220 mph high-speed rail system could have on the region.

Titled “The Economic Impacts of High Speed Rail: Transforming the Midwest,” the study was sponsored by Siemens and conducted by AECOM and the Economic Development Research Group.

The study analyzed a four-spoke network serving all major Midwestern metropolitan areas within 350 to 450 miles of Chicago, including Cleveland/Detroit, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Trains would operate at 220 mph on dedicated track with no grade crossings.

According to the study, the system would:
• attract 43 million riders annually from 13 cities and major metropolitan areas;
• generate more than $2.2 billion in annual revenue;
• feature 25 daily departures on each of the four corridors, with capacity for up to 10 trains during peak hours on each corridor;
• provide two- to three-hour travel times between Chicago and the furthest points of the network;
• create $13.8 billion in additional business sales in the Chicago metropolitan area;
• create 104,000 new jobs; and
• generate $314 million annually in new visitor spending in downtown Chicago.

The system would cost $83.6 billion to build, the study estimates, and construction could be phased over time.

MHSRA is “sharing these initial findings to stimulate discussion and generate support for an expanded study that will document the expected economic benefits for the region as a whole,” according to a prepared statement.