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6/4/2021
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is inviting the public to comment and offer suggestions on a new study assessing the state's rail system.
The goal of the study — which is slated for completion in January 2022 — is to seek input on current conditions, capacity concerns and safety challenges to help identify potential improvements and solutions.
Comments will be collected through June 14 via illinoisrailneeds.org.
The public input will be used to help draft a statewide rail plan, a requirement of states seeking federal funding under the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, IDOT officials said in a press release.
The plan also will serve to inform IDOT's ongoing Illinois Long-Range Transportation Plan, providing strategic direction for the development of the state’s transportation system.
The Rebuild Illinois capital program includes investments in both passenger and freight rail, including $500 million to re-establish passenger rail to the Quad Cities and Rockford, $400 million for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation and Efficiency (CREATE) Program, $100 million for improvements to improve safety and reliability on Amtrak’s Saluki service between Chicago and Carbondale, and $78 million to upgrade crossings and improve safety throughout the state.
Illinois is the only state in which all seven Class Is operate. Illinois has more than 10,000 miles of track and an extensive passenger-rail network, with Amtrak connecting 30 communities statewide and Metra operating 11 lines in the Chicago area.