Quad Cities Passenger Rail Coalition

Save the date for the Quad Cities Passenger Rail Coalition’s 1^st Anniversary Celebration. Help QC Rail celebrate the progress being made to restore passenger rail service in the Quad Cities. Since May 2007, over 3500 individuals have joined QC Rail.

Note: The Celebration Belle riverboat will remain docked and will not cruise during the event.

The Quad Cities Passenger Rail Coalition ("QC Rail") is advocating on behalf of the greater Quad City region for restored passenger rail service. A thriving metropolitan area of 400,000 residents, the Quad City region is the next most logical addition to the passenger rail system. The Quad Cities is located on a highly populated passenger rail route being considered to connect Chicago with the Quad Cities (400,000 residents), Iowa City/Cedar Rapids (390,000 residents), Des Moines (500,000 residents), and Omaha (820,000 residents).

As a result of substantial ridership increases on existing Illinois routes, the Illinois Department of Transportation and Amtrak are planning expanded routes to include restored passenger rail service between Chicago and the Quad Cities.

Amtrak service from Chicago to the Quad Cities is the lynchpin for an extended route being planned along a highly populated corridor from the Quad Cities to Iowa City, Des Moines, and Omaha. The Iowa Department of Transportation is working with Amtrak to extend service from the Quad Cities to Iowa City.

Ever since the Coalition was organized in May 2007, support has continued to grow. Over 300 area community and business leaders joined the coalition during its first month and by September 2007, members numbered over 1000. Currently, support for the QC Rail Passenger Rail Coalition has reached nearly 3500 members. Nearly 100 businesses, labor and community organizations, and governmental entities have signed on as official supporters.

The Coalition has made great strides over the past year by working with area legislators, community, labor and business leaders, and passenger rail advocates to bring restored service closer to reality. Organized as an initiative of the Illinois Quad City Chamber’s Blueprint 2010, the Coalition thrives on the excitement and support from its active Steering Committee members and Coalition supporters.

In early 2007, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin raised awareness of the effort to restore passenger rail in the Quad Cities by facilitating Illinois DOT’s request for Amtrak to study service from Chicago to the Quad Cities. In February 2007, IDOT requested Amtrak conduct a feasibility study for the Quad Cities to Chicago route, which was completed in January 2008. The Amtrak feasibility study analyzes passenger rail service between the Quad Cities to Chicago, including route analysis, construction cost, ridership estimates, running time, revenue, operating expenses, necessary subsidies. Click here to view the complete study:

The Amtrak feasibility report identified the shortest and most direct route for 2 daily roundtrip departures from the Quad Cities and Chicago (Note: Capital cost does not include station costs):

Preferred Service Level: 79 mph service on Quad Cities-Naperville-Chicago via IAIS-BNSF-Amtrak

“As-Is” Service at Current Speeds : “As-is” service on Quad Cities-Naperville-Chicago via IAIS-BNSF-Amtrak

Quad Cities - Iowa City Amtrak Feasibility Report
Amtrak service from Chicago to the Quad Cities is the lynchpin for an extended route being planned along a highly populated corridor from the Quad Cities to Iowa City, Des Moines, and Omaha. The Iowa Department of Transportation is working with Amtrak to extend service from the Quad Cities to Iowa City.

The following are details from the recently completed feasibility study for Amtrak passenger rail service from the Quad Cities to Iowa City via the Iowa Interstate Railroad. Click here for the full report.

Iowa and Illinois would share the annual state operating contract for the Chicago/Quad Cities/Iowa City route.

Congress and the State of Illinois continue to consider legislation that would benefit the Quad Cities’ effort to restore passenger rail service.

U.S. Congress
Congress passed its 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act that includes $30 million for the State Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program (for projects like the Quad Cities), and funding for Rail Line Relocation.

The U.S. Senate recently passed the Amtrak Reauthorization Bill (S. 294) that would continue Amtrak’s operations for six years, provide $1.4 billion in capital funding to states, and make several railroad security improvements. Illinois’ U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama were co-sponsors of this bill. The Amtrak Reauthorization Bill must now pass the U.S. House of Representatives. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, on which Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley serves, indicated they will consider this legislation in 2008. Look for the Quad Cities Passenger Rail Coalition to keep you updated on this topic.

Illinois General Assembly
These efforts in Congress highlight the importance of Illinois’ Capital Bill, which would provide state investment for our transportation infrastructure. By passing a Capital Bill, Illinois can access potential matching federal funds to improve and expand passenger rail service – including Amtrak service to the Quad Cities. The Illinois General Assembly is considering a $25 billion Capital Bill to fund construction, transportation, and infrastructure projects. Contact your state legislators and ask them to pass a Capital Bill with funding for the Quad Cities/Chicago Amtrak route.

State of Iowa
As the Coalition continues to advocate the State of Illinois to expand passenger rail to the Quad Cities, the State of Iowa is beginning to create a statewide passenger rail plan. Iowa DOT has already requested Amtrak studies for several continued Iowa routes, including from the Quad Cities to Iowa City and Des Moines.

Please contact your state and federal legislators and ask them to help restore passenger rail service to the Quad Cities. Remember to let them know you’re a member of the Quad Cities Passenger Rail Coalition!

The effort to restore passenger rail in the Quad Cities was bolstered by recommendations of the Passenger Rail Working Group (PRWG), which was part of a commission created by Congress in 2005. The Chicago to Quad Cities route was included as an “immediate need” to be completed between 2007-2015 according to the PRWG’s recommendations for the future of intercity passenger rail in the United States. In its report: “Vision for the future: U.S. Intercity Passenger Rail Network Through 2050,” the Chicago to Quad Cities route was also recommended for continued service and track upgrades in following years.

The PRWG report also listed the following benefits of passenger rail in its report:

- relieve highway and airway congestion

- improve public safety and air quality

- help mitigate the negative impacts of short or prolonged energy supply disruptions and energy price increases

- provide land use and travel pattern changes that could improve air and water quality, as well as aesthetic appeal

- provide mobility and economic development opportunities

- assure a redundant transportation mode for use in emergency situations; and provide a mobility option for
individuals who do not drive or fly

Capital Cost: $22.7 million	Annual Ridership: 110,800
Train rehabilitation: $5.6 million (3 train cars)	Running Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
State Operating Contract: $5.9 million

Capital Cost: $5.6 million	Annual Ridership: 90,000
Train rehabilitation: $6.3 million (2 train cars)	Running Time: 4 hours
State Operating Contract: $6.3 million

	"As-Is" Speeds	60 mph	79 mph
Running time:	2 hours 20 minutes	1 hour 57 minutes	1 hour 38 minutes
Estimated Annual Ridership:	43,800	60,700	76,100
Capital Cost:	$.3 million	$26.1 million	$32.5 million
Estimated Revenue:	$1.2 million	$1.7 million	$2.2 million
Estimated Operating Expenses:	$2.1 million	$1.9 million	$2.3 million