Illinois Scores $150 million for High-Speed Rail

Today, the United States Department of Transportation announced that Illinois would receive $150 million to purchase right-of-way for the line running between Chicago and Detroit.

This comes on top of an earlier grant of $200 million to modernize the rail. After the project is complete, more than 77 percent of the line will be able to handle speeds of 110 miles per hour, shaving thirty minutes off the trip, which will now take 5 hours.

Congress has not allocated any funds yet for high-speed rail in the upcoming fiscal year.