16 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

WREX-TV, Channel 13 in Rockford, IL, 3/25/15:

 

Amtrak waiting on the state; won't declare Rockford project dead

Without state funding, an Amtrak official tells 13 News it will not be able to bring service to Rockford.
 

This comes on the heels of a statement last week by the head of IDOT who says funding is still up in the air.

Today in Springfield, State Rep. John Cabello pressed an Amtrak official for a more definitive answer.

 

That story

[CNJRoss]

KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids, IA, 4/8:
 

Illinois lawmakers: Dubuque to Chicago rail service lacks support

 

DUBUQUE — Plans for passenger train service from Dubuque to Chicago appear to no longer be on track. Illinois lawmakers say the promise to start that work this year was nothing more than a campaign promise.

 

Last year, then-Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, in the middle of a campaign against Republican challenger Bruce Rauner, announced passenger rail service would come to Rockford sometime this year, with the intention of later extending that line to Dubuque.

 

Work on the project was contingent on $200 million in state funding, which a group Illinois Republicans say doesn’t have enough support after Rauner’s victory.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

Rockford (IL) Register Star, 9/10/16:
 

Letter: Rockford missed the train, again

 

Rockford lost Amtrak service in 1981. Then we lost it again in 2015, before we even had it. The state budget impasse prevented promised funds to be allocated. Somehow, in a year of fiscal crisis, the governor was able to find $45 million in funds to move forward on a proposed $222 million state-supported Amtrak service between Chicago and the Quad Cities (Trains Magazine, Oct. 2016, p. 23). Again, Rockford loses out on a chance to get needed rail service to Chicago. Instead, the government spent $2.5 billion dollars to support the one million cars that travel on Interstate 90 every day. The cost of the proposed Rockford Amtrak service is $223 million, or 11 percent of what was spent on tollway reconstruction.

 

Continue here.

[KevinKorell]

Rockford, IL Register-Star, 6/27/18:

 

 

Ballot initiative pushes Chicago to Rockford passenger rail service

 

 

Signatures are being sought to put a nonbinding referendum on ballots in Boone and Winnebago counties that asks whether passenger rail service should be restored.

 

 

Update

[KevinKorell]

Column in Rockford, IL Register-Star, 7/4/18:

 

 

Chuck Sweeny: Bodine is asking the wrong question about passenger rail

 

 

Angie Bodine is asking people to support a nonbinding referendum asking whether they want restoration of “The Black Hawk” train.

 

 

Further update

[KevinKorell]

WREX-TV, Channel 13 in Rockford, IL, 8/10/18:

 

 

Amtrak in Rockford on November ballot

 

 

The Winnebago County Board wants to know if people would support Amtrak coming to Rockford.

 

 

Another update

[KevinKorell]

Column in Rockford, IL Register-Star, 8/22/18:

 

Want Amtrak? Show us the money

 

 

The debate between Angelique Bodine and state Rep. Joe Sosnowski on returning rail service to Rockford is on the wrong track. The studies have been done. It’s a part of Transform Rockford’s long term plan. The routing has been selected. Online communities have plans for passenger stations. What needs to happen is for our legislatures to find the money.

 

 

Column continues