Illinois railway projects see record state allocation of $2.9B to upgrade passenger corridors, increase freight haul, and aid regional growth within state’s record-setting $50.6B infrastructure initiative.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Illinois rail projects secure record $2.9B in new funding
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced the new multiyear transportation funding program earlier this week.
Photo – Gov. JB Pritzker’s Facebook page

Illinois rail projects drive modernization and growth

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois DOT unveiled a $50.6 billion program to modernize and upgrade transportation facilities across the state. The statewide, six-year program spans all 102 counties and totals $13.8 billion for transit, $2.9 billion for railroad, and $200 million for ports.

Don’t miss…Storm Amy Causes Severe Rail Disruptions Across Scotland

Officials stressed that it is the state’s largest-ever investment, beating that of last year’s record of $41.4 billion. Since the multi-modal plan is for all transportation, it would increase connectivity, provide jobs, and attract private enterprise. There is also a new $400 million fund that would invest in economically depressed areas in order to make the development across the state equitable.

Illinois transportation projects increase jobs and connectivity

Illinois runs close to 10,000 railroad miles, the majority owned and operated by Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway. With the plan, Rockford–Chicago service is to be restored with $270 million and Chicago and the Quad Cities reconnection costing $388.8 million.

Amtrak’s Chicago-Carbondale Saluki line will get $98 million in improvements, and the Chicago Transit Authority will receive $175 million in improving operations and worker training. Both projects involve diversity objectives in favor of minority- and woman-owned businesses.

Governor Pritzker announced these transportation initiatives would “build the best transportation system in the nation” and create thousands of jobs. He went on to state that the state is building towards a more resilient, more accessible, and more sustainable mobility network.

Through long-term investments in railroad renewal, the state revamps its economy and its environmental leadership. American railroad projects in Illinois serve as an exemplar of long-sighted infrastructure policy in the American nation.

Source: www.progressiverailroading.com

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…USDOT Freezes $2,1 Billion in Rail Funding

What do Illinois rail projects refer to and why do they matter?

Illinois railroad projects comprise significant freight and passenger projects enhancing transport links, safety, and regional economy improvement throughout the state within the $50.6B infrastructure plan.

How much funding do Illinois rail projects receive?

They get $2.9 billion for modernizations, restorings, and new services, such as major corridors like Rockford–Chicago and Chicago–Quad Cities.

Who controls Illinois’s primary railroad network?

Most of the railway lines belong to BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, and Amtrak and the Chicago Transit Authority cover the passenger services.

Find the latest news of the railway industry in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and the rest of the world on our page on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, read Railway Supply magazine online.

Place your ads on webportal and in Railway Supply magazine. Detailed information is in Railway Supply media kit