Big money promised for faster trains

The goal? Double the number of daily rail round trips between Detroit and Chicago; increase speeds to 110 miles per hour in order to reduce triptimes; and relieve railroad congestion by addressing a series of major chokepoints.

To get it done, the Department of Transportation has given out $161 million to get fast trains traveling the corridor that serves communities in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Trains traveling that route connect passengers to the Chicago Hub via six round trips per day.

The 2010 Department of Transporation funds will be used to lay the groundwork for development of the corridor, which includes the Chicago-Detroit-Pontiac corridor. Previously, approximately $244 million from the Recovery Act went to the improve the line that connects Chicago and Detroit and several intermediate destinations, including Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor.

As part of the $2.4 billion Department of Transportation package, a $150 million grant will allow the Michigan Department of Transportation to purchase and restore 135 miles of rail line between Kalamazoo and Dearborn.

A $3.2 million grant will help Michigan complete planning and environmental studies for high-speed rail operations on the Chicago-Detroit-Pontiac corridor.

Prior Recovery Act awards have gone toward building approach bridges, embankments and retaining walls in Chicago.
 
“Rail lines in China, Japan and other countries, have brought added benefits from making communities more livable to attracting new industries and companies,” says Congressman John D. Dingell. “If we are to continue to compete with our neighbors, we must make these critical upgrades in our infrastructure.”

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: John D. Dingell, U.S. Congress