Connect with us

Illinois

Illinois High-Speed Rail Project Progresses With ‘Major Step’

Published

on

Illinois High-Speed Rail Project Progresses With ‘Major Step’


Plans for a high-speed rail route between Chicago and East St. Louis have moved forward after Illinois officials issued an update to a feasibility study into the project.

In a May update, the Illinois High-Speed Rail Commission said it was on track to publish the report by 2026—which includes a survey of over 6,000 residents in the state.

Newsweek contacted the commission via email for more information on the study’s progress.

The Context

A high-speed rail route connecting the largest city in Illinois to East St. Louis has been pitched by lawmakers for years, as it would provide huge levels of connectivity for the Midwest. The idea took a step toward reality when Illinois Governor JB Pritzker created the Illinois High Speed Rail Commission in 2021, to plan out what the route would need in order to work.

Advertisement
Amtrak’s California Zephyr passenger train departs Chicago Union Station on March 2, 2022.

Getty Images

What To Know

The proposed route would go from Chicago to East St. Louis, a distance of around 300 miles, with trains running at a speed of 186 miles per hour.

The route currently being studied is split into three segments. The first, the Downtown Chicago area, connects to University Park and Joliet.

The middle stage of the potential route, the Chicago-Springfield Gateway, features stops at Peoria and Bloomington via Joliet, and Decatur and Champaign via University Park, before connecting all the stops to Springfield.

The final part of the route is a straight connection to East St. Louis from Springfield. Not all stops featured in the study may make it into the final design for the route, as the commission is still determining how much demand there might be for services in different parts of the state.

The commission said that it had held online meetings—which had been viewed by more than 7,500 people—and that the full verdict would be delivered to Illinois lawmakers in 2026.

Advertisement

According to the report update, a trip from Springfield to University Park on the proposed route would take around two and a half hours.

What People Are Saying

In a 2023 statement on the importance of high-speed rail, Governor JB Pritzker said: “Illinois is the only state where all seven of the nation’s largest railroads operate. That’s a unique economic advantage recognized by employers across the globe, helping our state attract and maintain quality jobs.

“By upgrading to higher-speed service on Illinois’ largest passenger rail line, we are solidifying our status as the transportation hub of North America. Investments like these do more than just connect cities—they allow our residents to access opportunities beyond their immediate neighborhoods, streamline regional collaborations, and open doors for new jobs and new businesses.”

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin said: “This transformative endeavor, decades in the making, symbolizes our commitment to improving mobility, creating jobs, and fostering sustainable growth. From local communities to federal officials, countless individuals have contributed to its success, leaving an indelible mark on the Midwest and our nation’s rail operations.”

What Happens Next

Lawmakers are awaiting the results of the feasibility study before the next stage of planning can begin.

Advertisement



Source link

Illinois

4 shot in Rockford, suspect in custody; police ask public to avoid area

Published

on

4 shot in Rockford, suspect in custody; police ask public to avoid area


ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team

Saturday, July 18, 2026 11:43AM

ABC7 Chicago 24/7 Stream

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WLS) — Rockford police are investigating a quadruple shooting on Saturday.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The shooting happened near Island and Clifton Avenues, police said.

Police said four people were shot. All injuries appeared to be non-life-threatening, police said.

The shooting suspect was in police custody.

Advertisement

No other information was immediately available.

The public is asked to avoid the area as they continue to investigate.

Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Illinois

Produce Recall Issued In Parasite Outbreak Hitting IL

Published

on

Produce Recall Issued In Parasite Outbreak Hitting IL


A number of Taco Bell locations have posted signs announcing they are “currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall,” according to Detroit-area news radio outlet WWJ.

Taco Bell told the Post it would keep monitoring the situation and follow authorities’ guidance.

Taco Bell Lettuce Linked To Growing MI Parasite Outbreak: FDA

“Public health officials have not confirmed a link to Taco Bell or any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer,” the company told the Post. “While authorities continue their broader review, Taco Bell has voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure.”

Advertisement

In Michigan, where cases have been concentrated, media reports said notices were posted at some Detroit-area Taco Bell restaurants last week telling customers the chain was “currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro-Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall.”





Source link

Continue Reading

Illinois

Illinois GOP trails badly in midterm cash

Published

on

Illinois GOP trails badly in midterm cash


The Illinois Republican Party filed its quarterly campaign finance report on the July 15 deadline. The party reported having just $223K in the bank. The next day, the party sent a letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections saying they were “reconciling” their records after a leadership change, and then noted that their actual end balance was $101K higher than it had reported the day before.

But that bit of found money was basically the end of the “good news” for the GOP last week.

Republicans no longer have a pet billionaire. Bruce Rauner and Ken Griffin have fled the state. The legions of wealthy business titans who once contributed and raised money have either retired to sunnier climes or passed away. Several prominent party members have publicly shunned labor unions and their hefty political war chests, although the state GOP legislative leaders have at least tried to rebuild ties to trade unions and even the Illinois Education Association. But the heavily gerrymandered legislative map combined with the current political climate means they’ll mostly receive scraps.

And, yes, the House Democrats are struggling this month with scandals, including a state representative who resigned under pressure and another who was indicted. I’m not trying to downplay that at all. But Democrats have the national political environment, the local infrastructure and tons of cash behind them. The Republicans have little to none of that.

Advertisement

The GOP’s gubernatorial candidate, Darren Bailey, raised $1.3 million in the second quarter, which ended June 30. That sounds like a lot, but he spent almost all of that on direct mail fundraising costs. The huge expenditures do give him a prospect list for future fundraising, but he ended the quarter with a mere $128K in the bank. That was still a whole lot more than the rest of the statewide ticket.

Attorney General nominee Bob Fioretti, a perennial candidate, raised $31K, spent $39K and had $28K on hand at the end of the quarter along with almost $15K in recent debt. Secretary of State candidate Diane Harris raised $6K, spent a bit over $4K and had a paltry $1,816.42 in the bank. Treasurer candidate Max Solomon, who ran as a write-in during the primary because the party failed to recruit anyone, raised less than $3K, reported no spending and ended the quarter with less than $8K. Comptroller candidate Bryan Drew raised $30K and received $47K in in-kind contributions from a company owned, ironically, by independent gubernatorial candidate Collin Corbett, spent less than $3K, ended with $54K and had $25K in debt from earlier this year.

Man, that’s just downright pathetic.

But I suppose it doesn’t really matter anyway unless we see a massive sea-change in national opinion in the coming months or the federal government finds a way to not certify certain election results. Regardless of where individual candidates are at this moment, they’ll have the money to compete. Unlike the Republicans, the Dems do have a pet billionaire (JB Pritzker) and, I assume eventually for most of them, organized labor.

The Republican legislative leaders have tried to scrape and claw as much as they can, but they’re vastly outgunned. Senate Republican Leader John Curran raised just $75K in the second quarter. He spent $71K and reported having a bit more than $3 million in the bank. His caucus committee reported having $160K in the bank.

Advertisement

Leader Curran has three Republican-held districts to defend in the Chicago media market that have all trended Democratic in the last three cycles. Depending how bad things get, he could be defending a couple, two or three more.

The Senate Democrats have a ton of money to do whatever they want. Senate President Don Harmon has about $20 million in his personal campaign account and $1.7 million in his caucus account.

Over in the House, Republican Leader Tony McCombie has at least four Democratic-trending or swingy districts to defend and just $1.3 million in her personal campaign account and another $363K in her caucus account so far.

In contrast, House Speaker Chris Welch had $11.4 million in his personal account and $1.2 million in his caucus account. Like Senate President Harmon, he has more than enough money already, but more is never enough when there’s so much out there, so those numbers will likely rise by November.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending