By Tim Landis, Business Editor, The State Journal-Register; November 18, 2017
The Illinois Department of Transportation is now looking at 2018 for the start of AMTRAK service up to 110 mph on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor.
Early on in the seven-year, $2 billion high-speed rail project, the goal was faster service on much of the corridor by the end of 2017. But as is often the case with major projects, construction has taken longer than anticipated. A big piece of remaining work is along the Third Street/Union Pacific rail corridor in Springfield. Five crossings were shut down in the last few weeks toward plans for safety fencing, signal and gate upgrades, and crossing improvements along the corridor from Stanford Avenue to Sangamon Avenue. The city of Springfield has started the process of applying for a federal “quiet zone” of no train horns, once safety improvements are completed.
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