Last week, the Alliance took part in the US High Speed Rail Association’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Attendance at the event has grown steadily in recent years, and the momentum continued this year. There were about two dozen sponsors, 50 speakers, 18 panel...
Newsletter 5/2/25: Alliance Members Show Up for Better Trains
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 in Springfield now have two exciting proposals for railway investment under consideration. One would give the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) the ability to get several new projects ‘shovel ready.’ The other would create and fund a statewide railway program.
Hundreds of Alliance supporters in Illinois have already spoken up.
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Illinois High Speed Railway Commission Survey
The Illinois High-Speed Railway Commission, assisted by the Illinois Department of Transportation, is conducting a feasibility study for high-speed rail service between Chicago and St. Louis. The study is looking at a new electrified corridor with speeds up to 220 mph, and connections to other cities across the state using existing Amtrak, Metra, and MetroLink passenger rail lines and local bus services.
As part of this process, the Commission is looking for feedback via a survey available through May 11. It’s important they hear from you.
Take the Survey
Why Can’t I Take the Train to Indy
Together, the Chicago and Indianapolis metro areas are home to 11 million people—meaning 1 in 30 US residents live within their borders. The cities are less than 200 miles apart. There is a world-class research university right in the middle—Purdue—with close connections to both cities. And Illinois and Indiana have some of the best, densest legacy rail infrastructure in the nation. Quality train service should be an easy win.
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Momentum for Better Trains
When: Friday, May 9 at 12pm CT
Speaker: Nolan Hicks, NYU – Marron Institute for Urban Management
The new “Momentum” report from NYU’s Marron Institute and the Transit Costs Project looks at options for quicker trips and making passenger rail service competitive with driving and flying, by using existing rail lines. “Momentum” seeks to speed service not by focusing on top speeds, but by focusing on increasing average speeds across a route. It does this by introducing a high-throughput infrastructure framework, to reduce delays and dead time.
AI-led Risk Forecasting and Risk Management Within the Rail and Transit Industry
When: Tuesday, May 13 at 11am CT
Speakers: Richard Bendall-Jones & Alexi Kostopoulos, nPlan
nPlan has worked on major rail projects across the world, including with Network Rail, HS2, City of Ottawa Stage 2, Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), MTR in Hong Kong, and more. Join us for an overview and discussion of how AI can revolutionize the way teams reduce risk during the delivery of major capital projects. We’ll also present real-world examples of how AI has been implemented on major rail projects.
What's the Latest on Federal Funding?
When: Friday, May 16 at 11am CT / 12pm ET on Zoom
Speaker: Beth Osborne, Director of Transportation for America and Rick Harnish, High Speed Rail Alliance Executive Director
The first months of Donald Trump’s return to the White House have brought sweeping changes to federal transportation priorities and funding, plus ongoing questions and concerns. A power struggle over federal funding has put investment in limbo for new and improved trains and transit from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and other measures.
Op-Ed: What Amtrak Privatization Advocates Miss
Calamity Ahead for LIRR Due to Amtrak’s East River Tunnel Shutdown
Back to the Future of Transit (NYT)
Lawmakers Push San Antonio-Austin High-Speed Rail
Passenger Service Returning to New River Valley
Pope of the People, Man of the Rails: The Quiet Power of Francis’s Love for Trains
The Latest from HSRA
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