Durbin and Quinn Hope to Obtain Federal Funds for High Speed Rail

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By Jennifer French

Story Published: Nov 4, 2009 at 5:22 PM CDT

Story Updated: Nov 4, 2009 at 7:21 PM CDT

With unemployment in Illinois in excess of 10 percent, Illinois lawmakers are hoping to get thousands of jobs back on track.

Governor Pat Quinn, Senator Dick Durbin and other Illinois legislators think that can happen through the Midwest High Speed Rail.

The Midwest High Speed Rail would upgrade Amtrak's existing service between Chicago and St. Louis.

"I'm very optimistic because we have a careful plan that's been worked on for a decade . . . this is a job creator if there ever was one for the land of Lincoln," says Quinn. "Our state has always been a rail state, a transportation state, and we're going back to the future."

The White House has put aside $8 billion for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Quinn and Durbin hope to obtain a major portion of the funds for Illinois.

Wednesday, Nov 4 at 7:28 PM Ralph wrote ...

Let's use the $8 Billion dollars to pay down Illinois debt, or better yet let's give 200,000 soldiers a $40,000 bonus for defending America.

Wednesday, Nov 4 at 6:55 PM Martha wrote ...

Waste...waste...waste.... When are these guys going to pull their heads to the rear and really see whats going on???? This project makes no sense what so ever. It creates temperoray job that vanish after the project is completed and offers no benefit to the average Illinois. What is ridership today ? What is projected. Another anchor around the necks of the future generation.

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