Editing Chicago Hub Network (section)

==Early studies and ISTEA corridors==
Renewed interest in high-speed rail occurred by the year 1990 when the Minnesota–Wisconsin–Illinois Tri-State Rail Study was underway.  A Chicago–Milwaukee–Madison–La Crosse–Rochester–Twin Cities "southern corridor" (a variation of the former ''Hiawatha'' routing) and a Chicago–Milwaukee–Green Bay–Wausau–Eau Claire–Twin Cities "northern corridor" were described in a preliminary report in December of that year.<ref name="tristate1990">{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.state.mn.us/planning/railplan/docs/Tri-State%20Rail%20Study%201990%20-%20Prelim%20Findings.pdf|title=Preliminary Findings, Tri-State Study of High Speed Rail Service|author=TMS/Benesch|publisher=Tri-State Steering Committee|date=December 19, 1990}}</ref>  A final report was released in May 1991 and recommended [[TGV]]-class {{convert|185|mph|abbr=on}} service since it provided the greatest benefit to riders and others in the corridor, though a slower (and less expensive) {{convert|125|mph|abbr=on}} "Amtrak upgrade" option was also deemed reasonable for capital-constrained investments.<ref name="tristate1">{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.state.mn.us/planning/railplan/docs/Tri-State%20Rail%20Study%201991.pdf|title=Tri-State High Speed Rail Study|date=May 1991|author=TMS/Benesch|publisher=Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois Departments of Transportation|access-date=February 9, 2010}}</ref>

The [[Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991]] (ISTEA) was passed on December 18, 1991, and requested designation of up to five corridors.  A core of what would become the Chicago Hub Network was the first of these five to be announced by [[United States Secretary of Transportation|Secretary of Transportation]] [[Andrew Card]] on October 15, 1992, who designated Chicago-based routes to Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Detroit.<ref name="fra-chronology">{{cite web|url=http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/618 |title=Chronology of High-Speed Rail Corridors |work=Federal Railroad Administration |publisher=Department of Transportation |date=July 7, 2009 |access-date=February 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100214150558/http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/618 |archive-date=February 14, 2010  }}</ref>