Midwest Expecting High Speed Rail Windfall From Stimulus

"After years of being parked on a siding, plans for 110-mph passenger trains in Wisconsin and Illinois could be ready to roll, with the aid of the federal stimulus package."

"Rail advocates and state officials are optimistic that Midwestern projects will capture a significant chunk of the $8 billion set aside for high-speed rail in the $787 billion legislation, despite heavy competition from other high-speed rail plans across the nation."

"And if high-speed rail money does land in the Midwest, it's most likely to be directed at building a new Milwaukee-to-Madison route and at increasing the speed and frequency of Amtrak service from Milwaukee to Chicago and from Chicago to St. Louis, said Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association. Some of those trains could be in service within a few years, Harnish said Tuesday."