Ask Governor Pritzker to remake Chicago Union Station into the nation’s high-speed rail hub!
Sign the Petition:
Dear Governor Pritzker,
Please continue leading the way for great train service.
Illinois has a tremendous opportunity: not only to offer fast, frequent, affordable service throughout the state, but to make Chicago the nation’s high-speed hub.
Fast trains would put 43 million people within three hours of Chicago. High-speed lines—such as the one from Chicago to St. Louis that Illinois is already working toward, as well as new lines to the Twin Cities, Detroit, and Indianapolis—would make it possible to travel between most cities in the Midwest by train within just a few hours.
The next step is to fix Union Station. Upgrades that Amtrak, Metra, and the Illinois Department of Transportation are planning are a great first step. Five key fixes would prepare Chicago Union Station to offer a transformational travel experience:
- a new concourse and platforms
- a station annex in the Old Post Office
- through-running trains that do not require a transfer
- an indoor connection to Ogilvie Station
- electrification
Chicago Union Station is already a critical transportation asset for the state of Illinois and the country. More than 300 daily trains provide direct service to 375 cities in 36 states. A modernized Union Station would open the way for a nationwide network of fast, frequent, affordable trains between hundreds of communities. With the proper investment, Union Station can also have the economic impact of a major airport—right in the Loop, helping to revitalize Chicago’s downtown.
As Governor, you can make the difference.
As the General Assembly puts together the state’s next budget, please make your support clear for an ambitious railway program that makes Chicago Union Station a keystone of our nation’s transportation infrastructure, a powerful engine of the region’s economy, and the Midwest’s link to the world.
