Celebrating 30 Years of Advocacy

A man has gotten off a train. A woman is greating him with a hug.
People like you, who wanted better trains, founded the High Speed Rail Alliance 30 years ago today! We started with a focus on Illinois. Then we expanded to the Midwest. Now, we work for better trains throughout North America.

Make a donation today to be a part of what comes next!

In November 2021, the U.S. Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) with bipartisan support. The IIJA includes the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak. This gives an unprecedented opportunity to mobilize the Alliance’s network and advance our main priorities.

You can help achieve these critical next steps!

  • Getting 200+ mph trains in service by 2030. The single most powerful tool in building support for high-speed rail in North America will be a line that we can ride.
  • Winning a well-funded national program. Building from the foundations laid by the infrastructure law will require keeping this a high priority. We have to integrate trains of many types, connect entire regions, and make strategic, long-range investments.
  • Leading from the middle. With roughly 60 million people, the Midwest is a critical region politically. And, since much of the country depends on lines that radiate from Chicago, we have to ensure that Illinois lead the way.

Over the past 30 years, people like you have brought these successes within reach.

Become a part of this exciting future by making a gift now to keep moving forward!

Rick Harnish
Executive Director
High Speed Rail Alliance

The Latest from HSRA

Our Latest Blog Posts

Check out the latest news, updates, and high speed rail insights from our blog!

The Economic Engine of the Rio Grande Plan

The Economic Engine of the Rio Grande Plan

Guest blog by Taylor Larsen Since its creation by Christian Lenhart and Cameron Blakely in 2020, the citizen-driven Rio Grande Plan has shared a vision: to remove railroad crossings, revitalize a neighborhood, and reuse the historic Rio Grande Depot as Salt Lake...

Tell Springfield: Invest in Metra’s Growth

Tell Springfield: Invest in Metra’s Growth

Transit Funding is Coming Down to the Wire Metra is a critical foundation of the State’s economy.  Chicago and its suburbs cannot grow and adapt to a rapidly changing world without a growing regional rail network. And, a modernized Metra is the foundation for great...

Alliance Members Show Up for Illinois Railway Investment

Alliance Members Show Up for Illinois Railway Investment

If you’ve followed the Alliance for a while, you know that we often focus on Illinois. That’s because of Chicago. Investment in the Windy City’s railway hub benefits a huge region, with hundreds of communities on rail lines that radiate out of Chicago. State lawmakers...