Newsletter 10/31/25: Illinois Transit Package Opens Door to Regional Rail

Illinois Transit Package Opens Door to Regional Rail

The Illinois General Assembly passed a package of bills Friday morning that will increase public transportation funding by $1.5 billion. It includes several provisions to boost regional rail in Illinois, which will feed into our ultimate goal of 220-mph high-speed rail routes.

This legislation goes to show that Illinois lawmakers take public transportation seriously, and recognize its value to the state, economically and socially. A study by Argonne National Laboratory determined that every dollar spent on transit produces $13 in economic activity and societal benefit. It’s an excellent investment.

It’s also brilliant that lawmakers decided to envision the transportation system we should have, rather than applying a Band-Aid to the existing system to keep it going as-is until the next calamity. Other than congestion pricing in New York City, this is the best response of any state or metropolitan region to the Transit Fiscal Cliff.

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Side view of a Metro-North Charger locomotive,

Metro-North to Offer Daily Departure to Albany

Metro-North, one of two New York commuter railroads, will run a daily round trip between New York City and Albany-Rensselaer, starting in spring 2026. Additional departures may be added in the future.

The new Albany run will exceed the Long Island Railroad’s 115-mile Montauk Branch as the longest “commuter rail” route in the country, which is just a little bit longer than the 90-mile Chicago – South Bend, Indiana South Shore Line.

We find this exciting because we believe that commuter railroads should widen their horizons as they convert to regional rail.

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Ask Sec. Duffy to Buy New Amtrak Trains

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Amtrak’s trains are too short to meet demand. Trains regularly sell out, year round, all across the country. The long distance trains have it the worst. The coaches and sleepers are at least 40 years old and the trains are half as long as they should be. Funds to buy...

Illinois commits funding to bring trains to Quad Cities

Illinois commits funding to bring trains to Quad Cities

On Dec. 31, 1978, the Rock Island Line ran its last passenger train from Chicago to Rock Island, Illinois. The Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa have not had passenger rail service since. This is due to change. The transit legislation that the Illinois General Assembly...