Newsletter: Texas Central, CHIP, and CrossRail Video

Gov. Pritzker re-affirms support for Chicago Hub Improvement Program

On August 3, at an event near Amtrak’s Chicago rail yard, Governor Pritzker announced his support for the Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP). This would fix Chicago Union Station and connect it to two potential passenger-focused mainlines. Amtrak has already applied to the federal government for investment in CHIP, which would benefit people in communities all over the country that are served by Chicago’s hub.

Then, on Sunday, the Chicago Tribune published an outstanding editorial setting new expectations for Midwestern trains by comparing Brightline Florida’s soon-to-launch hourly service linking Orlando to Miami to the paltry service offered in the Detroit, Milwaukee, and St. Louis corridors.

We are excited to see the Tribune take an aggressive stance in favor of Regional Rail, but it won’t happen without a strong federal program.

You can help by asking Congress to support Governor Pritzker’s request for CHIP funding.

Read More:

$US 873m of federal funding sought to support Chicago upgrades

Chicago Hub project vies for big chunk of federal grant money

Shinkansen train on a viaduct our a farm field

Big News From Texas

Amtrak has announced that it seeks to partner with a private company, Texas Central, to advance the planning and analysis for a roughly 240-mile high-speed line between Dallas and Houston. The line would cut travel times between the cities by more than half (versus driving), to 90 minutes. The main artery between the cities, I-45, is among the most congested and deadly in America.

Until Wednesday’s announcement, there had been few updates and little obvious activity since Texas Central won a big legal victory in June 2022.

This is big news, but it wasn’t a total surprise for those who watched our August 4 “brown bag lunch” when we learned that Amtrak has applied for grants from several federal programs to continue design work.

Read More

Big news from Texas: Amtrak wants to partner on Dallas to Houston high-speed line

Dallas to Houston in less than 90 minutes? What Amtrak’s interest means for bullet train

Texas Central and Amtrak seek partnership for high-speed rail project, stakeholders react

CrossRail Video Released

We are very happy that Governor Pritzker and so many others have embraced the concept of running trains through Chicago and to O’Hare.  Amtrak’s Chicago Hub Improvement Program sets the stage for making that a reality.

We recently released a new 4-minute video outlining our vision for building upon CHIP to create the foundation for a Midwest high-speed rail network while also creating a modern, crosstown Metra regional rail service.

Please check out the video and share it with your friends.

 

A conceptual drawing of a CrossRail station at Fulton Market.

Articles We Enjoyed

Several viewers pointed out that Metra Regional service was represented by a new Hungarian train in the CrossRail video.  Here is a YouTube review of the new train:  HUNGARY’S NEWEST TRAIN TRIP REPORT

 Something Has Happened to the Travel Industry. I’m the One Dealing With It.

Adif progresses on high-speed Mediterranean Corridor project

HS2 tunnelling in the capital passes the first MILEstone

The Latest from HSRA

Our Latest Blog Posts

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

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Congressman Quigley Champions High-Speed Rail

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