The U.S. government's railroad czar on Friday praised a comprehensive plan for high-speed passenger rail service in Midwest during a railroad conference in Chicago.
Joseph Szabo, who heads the Federal Railroad Administration, said that an announcement will be made before the end of winter on awarding 8 billion U.S. dollars in federal stimulus funds to the states in the Midwest to develop high-speed rail corridors.
Speaking at a rail and economic development conference convened by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, in partnership with Northwestern University's Transportation Center and the Environmental Law and Policy Center, Szabo said, "certainly no tipping of the hand, but it's quite obvious that the Illinois application, as do many others, have some significant merits."
Illinois and nearby states are hoping to receive a major portion of the funding to upgrade track and other infrastructure for 110 miles-per-hour (160 km-per-hour) train service starting within the next three to five years.
Chicago would serve as the rail hub for an eight-state Midwest plan providing faster trip times to cities including St. Louis, Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Cleveland and Cincinatti in Midwest states.