Editing Chicago Hub Network

{{Short description|Proposed rail lines in the Midwestern US}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{update|reason=This article mentions several proposals and grants, but the outcomes of pretty much all of them have not been added yet|date=July 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
[[File:corridor chi.PNG|thumb|Chicago Hub Network high-speed rail corridors, as designated by the [[Federal Railroad Administration]]]]

The '''Chicago Hub Network''' is a collection of proposed [[Higher-speed rail|fast conventional]] and [[high-speed rail in the United States|high-speed rail]] lines in the [[Midwestern United States]] including {{convert|3000|mi|km|sigfig=1}} of track. Since the 1990s, there have been multiple proposals to build a network from [[Chicago]] to destinations such as [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]], [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]], [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]], [[Indianapolis, Indiana|Indianapolis]], [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]], [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]],  [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]], and [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]]. In addition, the rail lines from the Chicago hub would connect through to cities in [[Canada]].<ref>{{cite news |title=High-Speed Rail in Michigan: Is a line to Canada the next step? |last=Wattrick |first=Jeff T. |url=http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2011/05/high-speed_rail_in_michigan_is.html |newspaper=MLive.com |date=May 9, 2011 |access-date=May 22, 2011}}</ref> Eastern routes from Chicago would also blend into the [[Ohio Hub]] network. In addition to providing better connections between Midwestern cities, the projects are intended to reduce or eliminate the operating [[subsidy|subsidies]] that American passenger train routes currently require.

[[File:MWHSR logo.gif|thumb|upright=0.5|Midwest High Speed Rail logo]]

If implemented, the plans would have some of the nation's fastest trains in Chicago, as it had in the 1930s and 1940s when the ''[[Twin Zephyr]]s'', ''[[Twin Cities 400]]'', and ''[[Hiawatha (Milwaukee Road trains)|Hiawatha]]'' were based in the city. Chicago is [[North America]]'s largest rail hub, and remains unsurpassed in the total number of passenger and freight trains that converge on any city on the continent. Chicago is a major hub for [[Amtrak]], with 15 different lines terminating at the city's [[Chicago Union Station|Union Station]]. Most existing passenger trains in the region operate at speeds of about {{convert|55|to|79|mph|km/h}}, although a few travel faster. The various plans have suggested speeds ranging from {{convert|110|to|220|mph|km/h}} for the core routes, as well as improved speeds for secondary routes.

In 2023, the Chicago–St. Louis rail line was upgraded so passenger trains are able to reach top speeds of {{convert|110|mph|km/h}} when traveling between [[Joliet, Illinois|Joliet]] and [[Alton, Illinois|Alton]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neveau • • |first=James |title=Amtrak Cleared to Run Trains at 110 MPH on Routes Between Chicago, St. Louis |url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/amtrak-cleared-to-run-trains-at-110-mph-on-routes-between-chicago-st-louis/3133478/ |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=NBC Chicago |date=May 4, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==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>

==Midwest Regional Rail Initiative==
In 2004, the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative plan was released, focusing on upgrading existing Amtrak routes.  The plan had been in development since 1996, led by the [[Wisconsin Department of Transportation]].  Trains would travel at about {{convert|110|mph|km/h}} on the primary routes, but {{convert|80|to|90|mph|abbr=on}} on secondary lines.  Existing trains run at speeds of about {{convert|55|to|79|mph|abbr=on}}. Raising the speed would significantly reduce trip times. A trip between [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]] and Chicago would be reduced from about 90 minutes to just over an hour. The trip from the [[Minneapolis-St. Paul|Twin Cities]] to Chicago would drop from 8 hours to 5½ hours. Travelers between Chicago and [[Cincinnati]] would see the biggest gains, cutting travel time in half to just 4 hours.

If implemented, planners would expect 13.6&nbsp;million annual riders by the year 2025. The frequency of train trips would also be increased: areas that currently only see one train in each direction every day would be upgraded to four or six trips each way.

The total investment required for the system, paying for infrastructure as well as [[rolling stock]], was estimated at $7.7&nbsp;billion in 2002 dollars.  $1.1&nbsp;billion of that would go toward purchasing 63 new train sets.  Plans at the time called for phased construction taking about a decade.

This plan is expected to use diesel-powered trains, which is one reason for the relatively low top speed in comparison to high-speed lines in Europe and elsewhere.  The practical limit for diesel-powered train service is about {{convert|125|mph|abbr=on}}.  Higher speeds require electrification, which can double the cost of building a rail line, though trains on such lines benefit from higher efficiency leading to lower fuel costs, and the ability to accelerate and decelerate more rapidly which boosts rail line capacity.

==2009 Midwest High Speed Rail Association proposal==
For 2009, the [[Midwest High Speed Rail Association]] (MHSRA) and other organizations requested new studies of possible rail routes in the Midwest, this time with {{convert|220|mph|km/h}} service as the goal. These routes were identified:<ref name="mhsra-220">[http://www.midwesthsr.org/network/220.html Midwest High Speed Rail Association: 220-mph High Speed Lines] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109134034/http://www.midwesthsr.org/network/220.html |date=January 9, 2010 }}</ref>

*Chicago–Milwaukee–Madison–Rochester–Minneapolis/St. Paul-St. Cloud-Fargo-Bismarck
*Chicago–Champaign–Springfield–St. Louis
*Chicago–Gary–Lafayette–Indianapolis–Cincinnati
**Cincinnati–Dayton–Columbus–Cleveland
*Chicago–Gary–Fort Wayne–Toledo–Detroit
*Chicago–Gary–Fort Wayne–Toledo–Cleveland-Erie-Buffalo
**Cleveland–Pittsburgh

The MHSRA funded a study of the link from Chicago to St. Louis,<ref name="chi-stl">[http://www.midwesthsr.org/docs/Chicago_StLouis_HSR_Study_June_2009.pdf Chicago to St. Louis 220 mph High Speed Rail Alternative Corridor Study] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229071113/http://www.midwesthsr.org/docs/Chicago_StLouis_HSR_Study_June_2009.pdf |date=December 29, 2009 }}</ref> while the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance funded a study of the route to Minneapolis/St. Paul—the third in a series previously funded by the Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota Departments of Transportation.<ref name="tristate1"/><ref name="tri-state-ii">[http://www.dot.state.mn.us/planning/railplan/docs/Tri-State%20II%20Rail%20Study%202000.pdf Tri-State II Rail Study]</ref><ref name="tri-state-iii">[http://www.semnrail.org/PDFs/Tri-State%20III%20HSR%20Study_09.30.09_Final.qxd.pdf Tri-State III Rail Study] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109234136/http://www.semnrail.org/PDFs/Tri-State%20III%20HSR%20Study_09.30.09_Final.qxd.pdf |date=January 9, 2016 }}</ref>

==2009 SNCF proposal==
In late 2009, the French national rail company [[SNCF]] released studies of several rail corridors in the United States in California, Florida, Texas, and the Midwest.<ref name="sncf-midwest">[http://www.midwesthsr.org/docs/SNCF_Midwest.pdf SNCF: Midwest]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>  France has a population distribution similar to that in the Midwest, so their experiences with [[TGV]] trains and other high-speed systems could conceivably be duplicated in the U.S.  The following routes were identified for a first phase of implementation:

*Chicago–Milwaukee–Madison–Eau Claire–Minneapolis/St. Paul
*Chicago–Bloomington/Normal–Springfield–St. Louis
*Chicago–Gary–Lafayette–Indianapolis–Cincinnati
*Chicago–Gary–Fort Wayne–Toledo–Detroit
*Chicago–Gary–Fort Wayne–Toledo–Cleveland

These routes were designed to allow them to overlay the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative plan.  Like the MHSRA plan, the SNCF core routes would operate at up to {{cvt|220|mph|km/h}}.  The total cost was projected at $68.5&nbsp;billion in 2009 dollars, with 54% of that projected to need public financing if a public-private partnership was pursued.  The public funds could be recovered from revenues in about 15 years.

==Upgrades underway==
Some construction has begun in Illinois and Michigan, primarily as testbeds for the upgraded signaling and control systems required for [[higher-speed rail]]. In Michigan, this work has already resulted in speeds up to {{convert|110|mph|abbr=on}} for Amtrak's ''[[Wolverine (train)|Wolverine]]'' and ''[[Blue Water (train)|Blue Water]]'' services.<!-- [http://www.wndu.com/news/022002/news_12244.php]-->  Similar work on the Chicago–Saint Louis line in Illinois was met with considerable technical difficulties in 2005,<ref>{{cite news | title=Just like riding on air | work=[[South Bend Tribune]] | url=http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051231/News01/512310376/CAT=News01 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622080832/http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20051231%2FNews01%2F512310376%2FCAT%3DNews01 | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 22, 2006 | date=December 31, 2005 | access-date=July 19, 2020 }}</ref> though work continued.

In September 2008, the federal government provided $297,000 to fund a study of the plan; Amtrak and state governments matched these funds for a total of $594,000. Planners anticipate 13.6 million riders over the entire network by the year 2025.<ref>{{cite news | title=Federal money for trains seeks match from states | first=Alison | last=Costello | publisher=[[Capital News Service (Michigan)|Capital News Service]] | date=November 7, 2008 | access-date=November 7, 2008 | url=http://blog.mlive.com/cns/2008/11/federal_money_for_trains_seeks.html}}</ref>

The Chicago to Milwaukee ''[[Hiawatha (Amtrak train)|Hiawatha]]'' was planned to be expanded to [[Madison, Wisconsin]], but the project was then nixed in 2011 by then  Wisconsin governor Scott Walker.  In 2009, the Spanish manufacturer [[Talgo]] had agreed to open a plant in Wisconsin in order to build 110-mph trains for the ''Hiawatha'' route and other improved corridors;<ref name="talgo-wi">[http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/07/27/daily10.html Doyle enters Midwest pact to pursue high-speed rail funds]</ref> however, due to the cancellation of construction in Wisconsin, Talgo has scaled back plans from a manufacturing plant to a maintenance facility, leading the City of Milwaukee to consider legal action against the state.<ref name="talgo-lawsuit">[http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/111686184.html Talgo pulling out of Milwaukee in 2012]</ref>

===American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009===
In 2009, the federal government allocated $8&nbsp;billion in the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act]] to be divided up among rail projects around the country.  States in the Midwest made 24 applications to the government, and on January 28, 2010, the White House announced that the Chicago network would receive money for three of its requests, and two other grants were made to Midwestern states.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/02/high-speed-rail-grants/|title=At Long Last, Clear Messages for High-Speed Rail|date=February 1, 2010|author=Zach Rosenberg|publisher=Wired Blogs|work=Autopia|access-date=February 2, 2010}}</ref>  The Chicago-based routes receiving funding were:

*$1.131 billion for Chicago–St. Louis–Kansas City<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-high-speed-intercity-passenger-rail-program-chicago-st-louis-kansas-city|title=Fact Sheet: High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program: Chicago – St. Louis – Kansas City|access-date=January 28, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121104655/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-high-speed-intercity-passenger-rail-program-chicago-st-louis-kansas-city|archive-date=January 21, 2017|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|date=January 27, 2010 }}</ref> ($1.1&nbsp;billion for Chicago–St. Louis, $31&nbsp;million for St. Louis–Kansas City)
*$823 million for Chicago–Milwaukee–Madison–Minneapolis/St. Paul<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-high-speed-intercity-passenger-rail-program-minneapolisst-paul-madison-m|title=Fact Sheet: High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program: Minneapolis/St. Paul – Madison – Milwaukee – Chicago|access-date=January 28, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121104652/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-high-speed-intercity-passenger-rail-program-minneapolisst-paul-madison-m|archive-date=January 21, 2017|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|date=January 27, 2010 }}</ref>  ($810&nbsp;million for Milwaukee–Madison, $12&nbsp;million for Chicago–Milwaukee, remaining $600,000 to study possible alignments to the Twin Cities.)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-high-speedrail-wi,0,2769942.story|title=Wis to get $822 million for rail|agency=Associated Press|work=Chicago Tribune|date=January 28, 2010|access-date=February 2, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100202153406/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-high-speedrail-wi,0,2769942.story|archive-date=February 2, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.state.mn.us/newsrels/10/01/29_highspeedrail.html|title=Minnesota receives federal stimulus funds to study high-speed rail|date=January 29, 2009|publisher=Minnesota Department of Transportation|access-date=February 2, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206164629/http://www.dot.state.mn.us/newsrels/10/01/29_highspeedrail.html|archive-date=February 6, 2010}}</ref>
*$244 million for Chicago–Detroit–Pontiac<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-high-speed-intercity-passenger-rail-program-pontiac-detroit|title=Fact Sheet: High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program: Pontiac-Detroit-Chicago|access-date=January 28, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121104606/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-high-speed-intercity-passenger-rail-program-pontiac-detroit|archive-date=January 21, 2017|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|date=January 28, 2010 }}</ref>

An additional $400 million was released for the [[Ohio Hub|3C corridor]] in Ohio connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati, and $17&nbsp;million was allocated to Iowa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-high-speed-intercity-passenger-rail-program-cleveland-columbus|title=Fact Sheet: High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program: Cleveland – Columbus – Dayton – Cincinnati|access-date=February 2, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121104559/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-high-speed-intercity-passenger-rail-program-cleveland-columbus|archive-date=January 21, 2017|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|date=January 27, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-high-speed-intercity-passenger-rail-program-iowa|title=Fact Sheet: High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program: Iowa|access-date=February 2, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121104644/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-high-speed-intercity-passenger-rail-program-iowa|archive-date=January 21, 2017|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|date=January 27, 2010 }}</ref>  Many of the corridors receiving funding at this time were originally designated as high-speed rail corridors following the 1991 ISTEA legislation.<ref name="fra-chronology"/>

===2010===
In October 2010, the Chicago Hub received more money from the FY 2010 High Speed Rail Allocation. The major grants were:
*$230 million for Chicago–Quad Cities–Iowa City<ref name="fra.dot.gov">{{cite web|url=http://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0230 |title=Chicago to Iowa City Intercity Passenger Rail Service Project|access-date=July 31, 2013}}</ref>
*$161 million for Chicago–Detroit–Pontiac<ref name="fra.dot.gov"/>

Following the 2010 gubernatorial elections in [[Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2010|Wisconsin]] and [[Ohio gubernatorial election, 2010|Ohio]], both newly elected governors repeated their intentions of shutting down the projects in these two states and returning the money to the federal government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/hotline/more/hotline_679/|title=Nov 05, 2010: Hotline #679|publisher=National Association of Railroad Passengers|date=November 5, 2010|access-date=November 7, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716181357/http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/hotline/more/hotline_679/|archive-date=July 16, 2011}}</ref> Following the return of funds, the federal government redirected the $145&nbsp;million intended for Wisconsin and Ohio to the [[Pacific Northwest Corridor|State of Washington's high-speed rail corridor]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2011/04/8_WASecuresOHWIRailFunding.htm |title=It's official: Ohio and Wisconsin high-speed-rail funding coming to Washington |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Transportation]] |date=April 8, 2011 |access-date=April 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306163717/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2011/04/8_WASecuresOHWIRailFunding.htm |archive-date=March 6, 2012 }}</ref> and to Connecticut to modernize the [[New Haven-Springfield Line]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}}

===Chicago-St. Louis rail line upgrades===
Before the upgrades, [[Amtrak]] passenger trains had a top speed of 79 MPH on the line between [[Chicago]] and [[St. Louis]], and freight trains had a top speed of 60 MPH.<ref name="Crossing"/> In the fall of 2012, the section of the Chicago-St. Louis line between [[Pontiac, Illinois]], and [[Dwight, Illinois]], began Amtrak service at 110 MPH, as a demonstration section.<ref name="Crossing">{{cite news | last1=Landis | first1=Tim | title=Crossing Technology a Sign of Faster Trains to Come | url=http://www.sj-r.com/news/20160716/crossing-technology-sign-of-faster-trains-to-come | date=July 16, 2016 | newspaper=[[The State Journal-Register]] | access-date=July 26, 2016}}</ref> In 2014 construction began to upgrade the entire rail line between [[Carlinville, Illinois]], and [[Joliet, Illinois]], so that Amtrak could run its passenger trains at 110 MPH.<ref>{{cite news | last1=Landis | first1=Tim | title=Final Downstate Construction Begins for 110-mph Trains | url=http://www.sj-r.com/article/20140531/NEWS/140539907 | date=May 31, 2014 | newspaper=[[The State Journal-Register]] | access-date=July 26, 2016}}</ref> In addition, freight trains will be able to operate at 70 MPH.<ref name="Crossing"/>

The entire cost of the high-speed rail program was estimated at $1.8 billion, with the [[United States Federal Government|federal government]] committing $1.6&nbsp;billion of that,<ref>{{cite news | last1=Landis | first1=Tim | title=Speed Control Technology Part of 110 mph Amtrak Service | url=http://www.sj-r.com/article/20150524/NEWS/150529683 | date=May 24, 2015 | newspaper=[[The State Journal-Register]] | access-date=July 26, 2016}}</ref> later lowered to $1.4&nbsp;billion.<ref name="$1.2billion"/> It is estimated that $1.2&nbsp;billion will be spent on the program by the end of 2016.<ref name="$1.2billion">{{cite news | last1=Landis | first1=Tim | title=Rail Spending Projected to Hit $1.2 Billion Mark | url=http://www.sj-r.com/article/20160430/NEWS/160439988 | date=April 30, 2016 | newspaper=[[The State Journal-Register]] | access-date=July 26, 2016}}</ref>

On December 20, 2021, Amtrak train speeds were upgraded to {{Convert|90|mph|kph}} between Chicago and St Louis. This reduced travel time by 15 minutes between the two cities. Final approval for {{cvt|110|mph|adj=on}} speeds was granted in May 2023, and [[higher-speed rail]] service began on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, saving passengers an additional 45 minutes in travel time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amtrak now offering faster trains between Chicago, St. Louis|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/5/3/23709658/amtrak-high-speed-trains-between-chicago-st-louis|date=May 3, 2023|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|access-date=May 4, 2023}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Amtrak Midwest]]
* [[Chicago–Detroit Line]]
* [[High-speed rail in the United States]]
* [[Midwest High Speed Rail Association]]
* ''[[Northern Lights Express]]''
* [[Rochester Rail Link]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090221181939/http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/648 Federal Railroad Administration: Chicago Hub Network]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090419013737/http://www.in.gov/indot/3064.htm INDOT High Speed Passenger Rail Initiative]
*[https://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/mwrri/ Mn/DOT: Midwest Regional Rail Initiative]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041117132127/http://www.dot.state.wi.us/projects/state/docs/railmidwest.pdf WisDOT: Midwest Regional Rail System Executive Report, September 2004]
*[https://rail.ohio.gov/home Ohio Rail Development Commission]
*[https://www.hsrail.org/ High Speed Rail Association]
*[http://www.indianahighspeedrail.org/ Indiana High Speed Rail Association]
*[https://www.idothsr.org/ Illinois High Speed Rail]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100819032706/http://www.onboardmidwest.org/ A Minnesota or St. Paul,MN owned organisation, On-Board Mid-West]
{{High-speed rail in the United States}}
{{High-speed rail}}

[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Illinois]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Indiana]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Iowa]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Michigan]]
[[Category:Proposed railway lines in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Proposed railway lines in Missouri]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Nebraska]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Ohio]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:High-speed railway lines in the United States]]
[[Category:Midwestern United States]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Kentucky]]