PEORIA, Ill. – The proposed Chicago to Peoria rail corridor line is one of twelve in Illinois able to move on in the process potentially leading to reality.
Peoria Mayor Rita Ali says inclusion in a new Federal Railroad Administration “Corridor Identification and Development” program – established under a federal infrastructure bill – wasn’t entirely unexpected, but leaves her with a sigh of relief.
“It’s a very competitive process,” said Ali, at a news conference Thursday. “You have to meet all the criteria. You have to stand out. I would say our application certainly stood out.”
The program provides for, at the moment, $500,000 in federal funding for development stages which will help determine what engineering requirements will be for the line, along with cost.
It’s been 45 years since passenger rail service stopped here. Former U.S. Rep. and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has been a part of the group working on the passenger rail project, and says that period of time just doesn’t make sense.
“Obviously, I love Peoria,” said LaHood. “I love transportation. Living in a community that doesn’t have passenger rail service does not suit me very well.”
It would still be seven to ten years before passenger rail begins here, if future steps are successful.
CLICK HERE to see what’s next in the passenger rail process, in a document from the City of Peoria (PDF document).
