America Has Never Built an Airport Express Railway. Chicago Is About to Try. Nearly everyone agrees that there should be fast trains between downtown Chicago and O’Hare International Airport. The sticking point has always been how to make it happen: where the line...
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.
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.
‘Death Train’ is Scary Headline, But Need for Safer Crossings is Real
Cousin Amos Rides 1.351 Miles in Just 8.5 Hours
California High-Speed Rail CEO Has a Plan to Get the Project Back on Track
Why the U.S. Lags Behind the Rest of the World in High-Speed Train Travel (Video)
Talking Headways Podcast: Getting California High Speed Rail Done
Turkey Breaks Ground on Its First High-Speed Train Factory
Slowly But Surely, High-Speed Rail Backers Believe Cascade Mega-Project Will Become a Reality
The Latest from HSRA
Our Latest Blog Posts
Check out the latest news, updates, and high speed rail insights from our blog!
