There is still a path for pushing back against the cuts As we reported recently, the House’s BUILD America 250 Act would simultaneously slash funding for passenger trains and strip it of “advanced appropriation” status, so the money wouldn’t be guaranteed. A House...
Newsletter 9/5/25: Chicago Based Amtrak Trains Are Running Out of Seats
Chicago-based Amtrak trains are running out of seats
Amtrak trains operating out of the Chicago Hub are so popular that seats are becoming scarce. The scarcity is documented in a new report called Growth Spurt: The Outlook for Chicago’s Intercity Rail Traffic Through 2030, authored by Joseph P. Schwieterman, director of the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University in Chicago.
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Burlington Trailways to Discontinue Important Midwest Connectors
Burlington Trailways has announced that it will end its intercity bus service on September 27. When the Illinois General Assembly considers legislation to remedy the “fiscal cliff” facing the state’s transit systems in October, it should include support for intercity bus service in the package.
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Luncheon – Averting the Fiscal Cliff: The Road to Regional & High-Speed Rail
When: Friday, October 10, 11am to 3pm CT (Doors open at 10am)
Where: The Collective, 120 S. Riverside Plz, Chicago, IL 60606
From the urgent fiscal crisis threatening Chicago-area transit, to the future of Metra and high-speed rail in the Midwest, you will hear directly from leaders addressing today’s most pressing transportation challenges.
All Aboard Ohio’s Rail Advocacy Strategy
When: Friday, September 26 at 11am CT
Speaker: Mitch Radakovich, Board chair, All Aboard Ohio
All Aboard Ohio has grown, leading an ambitious effort in 2025. With statewide chapters and engaging events, the group has enlisted passenger rail advocates in a push to fund expanded passenger rail service within Ohio and to neighboring states, as well as for reentry to the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission. In this talk, you can learn where things stand today, and about All Aboard Ohio’s strategy to take passenger-rail advocacy to a new level.
Accelerating the Permitting Process for High Speed Rail Projects
When: Friday, October 24 at 12pm CT
Speaker: Terry Hynes, Senior Counsel, Sidley
Environmental review and permitting of high-speed rail projects can take many years or even more than a decade. This increases the cost of projects, discourages private investment, and makes the public wait to enjoy the benefits of high-speed trains. In this talk, you can learn about a proposal to designate the Surface Transportation Board as the lead agency for all high-speed rail projects, to accelerate review and permitting.
Amtrak ridership grows in Midwestern states
Knorr-Bremse Equips India’s First High-Speed Trains
‘We felt blindsided.’ Merced officials confront California High-Speed Rail Authority over report
Trump administration pulls another $175m from California’s high-speed rail
Brightline West high-speed rail line shows some signs of progress
Prague-České Budějovice in 95 Minutes: Czech Railways Breaks Speed Limit
Commentary: High-speed rail could be Albany’s next Erie Canal
Ohio’s New Rail Plan Puts Freight First, Even Though Ohioans Are Clearly Asking for Passenger Trains
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