Freedom, Opportunity, and Prosperity Statewide
Illinois is almost 400 miles north to south. Our cities and towns are spread out and feel disconnected. Wherever you’re going, it’s a long drive.
Fast, hourly trains with connecting buses give people the freedom to travel farther and faster for work, school, or leisure. They also attract more visitors and businesses to local communities, boosting jobs, growth, and opportunities for everyone.
Let’s make great trains happen for everyone in every community across the state. It’s the fast track for growing Illinois.
Critical Chicago Projects
Illinois Corridors
Illinois Fast Track Initiative
Take Action
Building on Success
Illinois has a long history of partnering with Amtrak, Metra, and privately-owned railroads to provide valuable links between Chicago and other Illinois communities. Ridership has grown steadily, despite infrequent departures and out-of-date trains.
Metra
Metra operates eleven routes from four downtown stations. It is time to convert Metra to Regional Rail so that more people can take more trips throughout the day.
The South Shore
operates frequent service to Michigan City, IN and five trains a day to South Bend. A big expansion program is adding more frequent trains on the mainline and building a new branch to Dyer.
State-Supported
Seven routes link Chicago to downstate cities, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Michigan, These routes need much more frequent service.
Night Trains
Eight Inter-Regional routes radiate out from Chicago to the Coasts. These long neglected trains link small towns to big cities across the Midwest.
There is Proven Demand for Better Trains in Illinois
Now it is time to deliver.
There are already many proposed expansions that – if completed – would improve mobility across the state. But each project is developed in isolation. They compete for funding. And they are not guided by a shared vision.
Illinois needs a comprehensive Integrated Network Plan and the state matching funds to move it forward.
Success Story
Chicago – St. Louis 110-mph
Illinois partnered with the Union Pacific Railroad to rebuild most of the Chicago – St. Louis Lincoln Corridor for 110 mph. It offers important lessons for shared-use lines across the country. Learn more about the Lincoln Corridor 110 project
Building Blocks for Game-Changing Passenger Rail
Regional Rail
High-speed Rail
Integrated Network
State Planning and Funding
Vision for an Integrated Rail Network
Coordinated trains and buses will make it practical and affordable to travel to every corner of the state.
Fast Regional Trains offering all-day service will link the state’s many universities, business centers and tourist attractions to each other and to O’Hare Airport.
But it’s not just about big cities. We need to connect many more smaller communities so that everyone has better access to modern, safe, convenient travel. A new Chicago–St. Louis high-speed line will make it all ten times better.
All of this needs to be coordinated within a comprehensive Integrated Network Plan and a source of reliable funding.
High-Speed Rail
Chicago and St. Louis are about the same distance as Madrid and Seville. High-speed trains have connected the Spanish cities with a 2 hour 20 minute trip-time since 1993. Illinois needs to catch up.
The Federal Railroad Administration included a new high-speed line in their regional framework on 2021.
The Illinois High Speed Railway Commission is developing options for building a new, high-speed line.
Critical Chicago-Area Projects
Several big projects in Illinois will have huge benefits far beyond the state borders.
Corridors in Illinois
Current progress on – and our ideas for – corridors across Illinois.
(check back for future corridor pages)
High-Speed Backbone
CrossRail Chicago
UP North Corridor
Milwaukee District North Corridor
UP Northwest Corridor
Chicago – Barrington – Harvard – (Janesville) – (Madison)
North Central Corridor
Milwaukee District West Corridor
UP West Corridor
BNSF Corridor
Rock Island Corridor
Lincoln Heritage Corridor
Metra SouthWest Service
Illinois Central Corridor
South Shore Corridor
I-74 Corridor
South of the Lake
Get Involved
The Illinois General Assembly is debating the future transit and regional rail right now. The package should include a State Railway Program to invest in bridges, trainsets, and better track.
The Latest from HSRA
Our Latest Blog Posts
Check out the latest news, updates, and high speed rail insights from our blog!
