Illinois will inaugurate 110-mph passenger trains on Friday (Oct. 19) on the 18-mile stretch between Dwight and Pontiac. Rick Harnish, director of the Midwest High-Speed Rail Association, says true high-speed rail is 220 mph, and getting there is not going to happen gradually. Harnish says new coaches are coming to St. Louis to Chicago Amtrak service in 2015 or 2016. The next step is to extend 110 mph service between Alton and Joliet, and eventually all the way between St. Louis and Chicago. The cost is around 1.2 billion dollars.
(Posted 10-15-2012 at 6:48am, Illinois Radio Network)
