Illinois Quietly Rewrote the Rules: Intercity Rail is Now Transit When the Illinois General Assembly passed its $1.5 billion transit package, it did something more profound than stabilize budgets or prevent service cuts. It fundamentally reconceived the role of...
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.
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