High Speed Passenger Rail:

• Negotiating agreements for joint HSIPR Iowa/Illinois award for $230 million to establish service between Chicago and Iowa City.
• Illinois managing improvements to establish service between Chicago and Dubuque using state funds.
• Top speed 79 mph.
• Shared track with freight trains.

Program Objectives:

• Establish successful passenger rail service from Chicago to Iowa City.
• Establish successful passenger rail service from Chicago to Dubuque.
• Improve performance of existing Amtrak routes.
• Investigate feasibility and plan for future passenger rail service in Iowa.
• Better integrate planning for passenger and freight rail into overall transportation planning vision.

Program Outcomes:

• Two round-trips daily between Chicago and Iowa City. Service to start in 2015.
• Two round-trips daily between Chicago and Dubuque. Service to start in 2013.
• Improved on-time performance and reliability for the existing California Zephyr route.
• Preliminary planning and environmental studies for the entire Chicago to Omaha corridor to prepare for future funding opportunities.
• Incorporate a passenger and freight rail component into the existing travel demand model to provide better multimodal data for planning purposes.

Types of improvements:

• New bypass tracks to add capacity
• Multiple upgrades to existing track
• Upgrades to train signaling systems
• Highway-railroad crossing safety improvements
• New connection between IAIS and BNSF at Wyanet, IL.
• Station improvements
• New trainsets to implement service