IARP Fall Newsletter
Illinois legislature passes additional funding for Chicago-Moline rail
In the early morning on October 31st the Illinois legislature passed SB 2111, a bill mostly focused on reforming and funding Chicago-area transit. Also in the bill was $129 million in downstate transit funding, as well as up to $342 million for intercity rail. The bill also allows for intercity rail projects to be eligible for funding in the downstate transit fund.
As we learned following the MIPRC meeting in August, the Chicago-Moline project was roughly $400 million short on funding before the bill’s passage. With SB 2111, the corridor is now in a very strong position to move forward. We will continue to monitor the corridor’s progress as more details become available.
IARP participates in MIPRC annual meeting
In August, IARP secretary Brady Olson attended the annual meeting of the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission. Since Iowa is not a member of the MIPRC, IARP was the sole voice in the room for the state. We got to learn more about many of the proposed expansion routes in the Midwest (including Chicago-Moline), brief the commissioners on Iowa’s efforts to rejoin the Compact, as well as the state of the FRA’s Corridor ID Program.
Specifically, we learned that the Corridor ID Program will likely be opening up for a second round of applications in early 2026. While this would be an incredible opportunity for Iowa to apply some routes for the program, we have also learned that the Iowa DOT is currently not planning on applying for any funding.
We hope to return to the MIPRC in the future, and will continue to push for the legislature to return the state to the Commission.
IARP participates in Ames transportation conference
On October 30th, IARP president Chris Krebill and IARP board member Paul Uzel participated in a roundtable discussion on passenger rail at the ASCE Transportation Conference in Ames. They were joined by All Aboard Northwest president Dan Bilka and INRCOG Transportation Director Nick Fratzke. The roundtable talked about the future of passenger rail in Iowa, as well as the various benefits that rail provides for its communities.
Amtrak ridership reaches new all-time highs
For Amtrak’s 2025 fiscal year (October 2024-September 2025), annual ridership for Amtrak increased to 34.5 million rides. This is a 5% increase compared to a year ago, and is 6% above pre-Covid ridership.
Following capacity increases made last year, both of Iowa’s routes have seen much higher ridership growth. Compared to a year ago, the California Zephyr has increased ridership by 16%, and the Southwest Chief has increased by 13%. Station ridership figures for Iowa will be released in a few months, and we will share those with you when they become available.
Amtrak’s newest route crushing ridership estimates
Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service, which debuted in late August, has opened up its doors to strong ridership. Originally forecasted to draw 71,000 annual rides, the Mardi Gras has so far been averaging about 105 riders per train, which would put the route on pace for 153,000 annual rides.
IARP Board Openings
IARP currently has open positions on its board of directors. If you are interested in joining the board, or just interested in volunteering for IARP, please reach out and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
