Culver rallies support in Iowa City for rail service

In an effort to gain support for a passenger rail from Eastern Iowa to Chicago, Gov. Chet Culver and other leaders stopped in Iowa City for a Whistle-Stop Rally on Sunday.

Culver rode the Iowa Unlimited to Iowa City and other Iowa towns before making his way to Chicago to attend today's Midwest High Speed Rail Summit, where he'll promote passenger rails to Dubuque, the Quad Cities, Iowa City and, eventually, Des Moines and Council Bluffs.

He will be meeting with other Midwest governors to discuss passenger rail service.

“We're going to get this done in two years,” Culver said to a cheering crowd at the historic train depot at 119 Wright St. “It's gonna happen, folks.”

Culver said although the efforts will take a lot of work, he has “all the confidence in the world” in the more efficient trains.

But the real destination for Culver and other rail advocates is a share of the $8 billion in federal stimulus funds set

aside for passenger rail service.

According to a 2008 Amtrak feasibility study, the Chicago-Quad Cities section would require $22.7 million to improve track conditions for 79 mph service and the Quad Cities-Iowa City section would require $32.5 million.

Nancy Quellhorst, president and CEO of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, said the Chicago Flyer would be useful for University of Iowa students traveling home to Chicago, travelers who don't want to make the drive to the Windy City or people who want to get work done while traveling.

In addition, she said, the passenger rail would help cut down traffic congestion and present an economic development opportunity for the area near the train depot.

“It's exciting to see it come to fruition for the benefit of the entire area,” Quellhorst said.