http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...0,376023.story
Iowa optimistic that trains are in state's future
By NIGEL DUARA
Associated Press Writer
2:25 PM CDT, July 26, 2009
IOWA CITY, Iowa
The days of the Corn Belt Rocket are long gone, but state officials and railroad supporters are optimistic that passenger trains could soon crisscross Iowa again.
First Iowa must vie with others states for a share of $8 billion in federal rail funding, which Gov. Chet Culver intends to win by lobbying transportation officials and teaming up with the state's neighbors.
He was doing both on Sunday, building public support by riding a special train to Chicago and picking up a key passenger, Amtrak Board of Director Chairman Tom Carper, along the way. Once in Chicago, Culver planned to attend a Midwest rail meeting Monday and was expected to sign a rail agreement with Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn.
"This will not be a project that is going to take us years or cost us tens of millions of dollars" in state funds, Culver said. "It's very affordable and something I think most Iowans are very excited about."
The Midwest appears to have some advantages because central states for years have worked together promoting lines that would stretch from Chicago to regional centers, such as St. Louis, Milwaukee and Minneapolis-St. Paul. The region also has a strong network of freight rails that could be upgraded and used for passenger trains.
Winning federal money won't be easy, though, as 40 states have submitted 278 plans that total $102 billion for federal rail funding.
"All across the nation now, communities and states are really jumping on the bandwagon, saying `We want our passenger rail line, too," said Laura Kliewer, director of the Midwest Passenger Rail Commission. "
But the Midwest really has been planning for so long, and states have moved forward. ... I think that the region's poised to know exactly what needs to be done."
In Iowa, the initial focus would be on two lines from Chicago, one reaching to Dubuque and the other to Iowa City via the Quad Cities. State officials hope trains could run on those lines by spring 2012 or sooner.
The state also is seeking $29 million to improve a Burlington Northern Santa Fe line across southern Iowa, speeding up the cross-country California Zephyr that already makes several stops in Iowa.
The additional lines would mean Iowa would be served by four Amtrak routes, although the Southwest Chief only passes through the southeast corner of the state with a stop in Fort Madison.
"There's an interest and belief that we can see things done sooner once we know the funding commitment," Culver spokesman Phil Roeder said. "It's our feeling that 2012 might be a bit too conservative."
Culver and state transportation officials have called for an Iowa City line eventually to be extended west to Des Moines and Omaha, Neb. That effort suffered a setback recently with word that Amtrak won't complete a study of the extension until next year.
Rail service has been limited in Iowa since the 1970s, when the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad dropped its passenger service as the company was struggling and in bankruptcy. At one time, the railroad ran several trains through the state, including the Corn Belt Rocket from Chicago to Omaha and the Twin Star Rocket from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago.
Tammy Nicholson, director of the state's Office of Rail Transportation, said initial reaction by federal officials to the plan has been positive.
"We're getting more enthusiasm for `Let's get it going' and expand across the state and potentially go north and south across the state," Nicholson said.
The state's plan relies on funding from the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program.
The name of the federal program is a bit of a misnomer because it will divide the $8 billion into three segments: actual high-speed rail, with top speeds of 150 mph; conventional rail, called Intercity Passenger Rail; and congestion grants, which would add tracks to reduce delays in heavily traveled intercity rail corridors.
The Federal Railroad Administration hasn't specified the breakdown of the $8 billion.
The rail lines being proposed in Iowa won't feature speeds seen in Japan, parts of Europe or even the Amtrak express lines between Boston and Washington, D.C. Instead, trains would travel at top speeds of 79 mph across improved tracks. That means passengers would make the Iowa City-Chicago trek in about 5 hours.
Kliewer, of the Midwest Passenger Rail Commission, said the region considered high-speed rail years ago but figured the time saved wouldn't be worth the money spent.
Even at the lower speeds, travel by rail would be faster than by car because passengers could avoid traffic and arrive in the heart of downtown Chicago, train supporters argue. Business passengers also could work during the trip rather than watch the road.
The planned Iowa City to Chicago route would feature two daily round trips between the cities and would carry 187,000 passengers annually, according to an Amtrak feasibility study. Most of the line to Dubuque would be in Illinois, and depending on the route, officials estimate the daily round trip would see annual ridership of between 44,000 and 74,000.
In cities where the trains would stop, local officials would be responsible for financing the construction or rehabilitation of depots. Federal money would be available for upgrades such as wheelchair-accessible platforms.
The $57 million cost of the Chicago to Iowa City line would be divided between Iowa and Illinois. Iowa's share is estimated at $34 million, plus the expense of building train stations.
Illinois would pay nearly the entire $60 million cost of the Chicago to Dubuque line because only the end of the route would be in Iowa.
If the rail lines are approved, Iowa would spend $3 million a year to bridge the gap between the rail lines' expenses and their ticket revenue.