An Amtrak shutdown would deal a major setback to a project in Illinois to test 110 m.p.h. passenger trains this year and delay the purchase of plush European-style coach cars, state transportation officials said Thursday.
Although a tentative agreement has been reached in Washington to keep Amtrak operating at least for several weeks, Illinois and other Midwest states that have invested heavily in forming a high-speed rail network are worried about being left in the lurch if the national passenger railroad ceases operations.
“Amtrak is our sole operator, and they are in charge of the procurement of the new trains we will need for high-speed rail,” said Linda Wheeler, director of planning and programming for the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Wheeler also said that if Amtrak were to stop operating, “You would be behind the 8-ball in building up the passenger base again.”
Amtrak has been a key partner in the $4.1 billion Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, which would operate high-speed trains over nine states, with the system’s hub in downtown Chicago. The Illinois portion of the project is estimated to cost up to $425 million, state officials said.
Illinois has spent $180 million over 10 years upgrading track for faster trains, improving safety at railroad crossings and installing sophisticated signaling systems, according to IDOT.
State officials and Amtrak plan to begin tests in September–at 90 m.p.h. increasing to 110 m.p.h.–on 120 miles of track between Springfield and Dwight. The stretch is on the Chicago-to-St. Louis corridor, the initial route in the high-speed rail network.
Amtrak has pledged to provide locomotives and passenger coaches that are in use in the Northeast Corridor for tests in Illinois. The better equipment is particularly important in evaluating performance and passenger comfort through curves in tracks at the higher speeds.
Amtrak also agreed to provide two of the four trains that Illinois plans to acquire initially for high-speed service. The amenities in new coaches will include larger, more comfortable seats; TV monitors and electrical outlets for laptop computers and music players; and bistro-style dining cars.
State officials said that pending approval by the Federal Railroad Administration, service at higher speeds could begin next year on parts of the Chicago-to-St. Louis corridor.
Even some critics of Amtrak’s performance and management said it is important to keep the passenger railroad involved in high-speed projects for the sake of continuity.
“Railroading is a very interconnected business that doesn’t work well if you approach it piece by piece,” said Richard Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Coalition, a non-profit group that supports development of the Midwest network. “Instead of individual states placing orders for several new trains, Amtrak has the ability to gather orders into one and set standards that will be used all over the country.”
In addition to citing Amtrak’s expertise in operating the high-speed Acela Express trains on the East Coast, Wheeler said Amtrak has exclusive rights under federal law to operate elsewhere in the country on tracks owned by freight railroads.
