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Earlier this week, Jackson County, Mo., Executive Mike Sanders unveiled Missouri’s vision for a 144-mile regional commuter-rail system.

The system would cost about $1 billion, most of which would need to come from the federal government, according to Sanders.

The commuter-rail system — which would feature Kansas City’s Union Station as its hub — could be constructed for $7 million per mile by using several existing rail corridors. Diesel-powered trains would travel at speeds up to 70 mph.

The system could be operational in two years, qualifying the project for the federal stimulus dollars, Sanders believes.