The Chicago-Quad Cities rail project has received an FRA-approved extension for its remaining federal funding. That allows the Illinois Department of Transportation to use the money to complete the planned Amtrak route between Chicago and Moline after more than a decade of planning.

Railroad crossing image for the Chicago-Quad Cities rail project announcement
A railroad crossing image published with the September 1, 2026 funding-extension announcement. Photo: Office of Representative Eric Sorensen

U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, together with U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen, announced the FRA approval on September 1, 2026.

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Support for the Chicago-Quad Cities rail project

Before the approval, the three Illinois lawmakers had asked U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Railroad Administrator David Fink to extend the funding availability. Their June letter said the project could proceed if the U.S. Department of Transportation allowed the previously awarded federal funds to remain available beyond the July 31, 2026 deadline.

Duckworth said:

“For too long, the Quad Cities have gone without a passenger rail line to Chicago, limiting Illinoisans’ options to get to school, businesses and visit loved ones. With this funding extension, we’re closer to delivering the passenger rail service that so many have long been waiting for,” Duckworth said. “Investments in our rail system connect communities, grow local economies and give Illinoisans more freedom to get where they need to go. This is a big milestone for our state, and Senator Durbin, Congressman Sorensen and I will continue working alongside our local leaders to strengthen our rail network and ensure it serves all Illinoisans for generations to come.”

Durbin described the Chicago-Quad Cities link as a missing part of Illinois’ rail network:

“Illinois relies on rail to push our economy forward and to ensure statewide connectivity, but we’ve been missing a critical route between Chicago and the Quad Cities,” Durbin said. “For more than 15 years, we’ve worked with IDOT, Iowa Interstate and BNSF Railroads, and the federal government to make the Chicago-Quad Cities Rail Project possible. With this funding extension from FRA, we can finally make this long-planned project a reality and open up new transit possibilities for Illinoisans.”

Sorensen said the extension brings the project closer to completion:

“I’m very pleased to see this project move forward and bring us one step closer to completing the Chicago-Quad Cities rail connection,” said Sorensen. “This investment will strengthen transportation options, support economic growth, and better connect communities across Illinois. Most importantly, it will give our neighbors more reliable ways to get to work, visit family, and access opportunities across the region.”

Federal and state funding for the project

Federal and state funding for the project has been secured over several years. Durbin obtained $177 million in federal support in 2010 and has since secured repeated extensions for those funds.

The project was delayed for years because former Governor Rauner refused to provide state funding. In 2019, Illinois renewed its commitment when Governor Pritzker allocated $225 million through the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program.

The recently enacted state transit bill and other Illinois funding sources will provide the additional money required for the project.

In June, Durbin also met with IDOT Secretary Gia Biagi and Iowa Interstate Railroad CEO Joe Parsons to discuss the rail project.

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