Chicago-Omaha rail study gets $1 million

State officials have approved matching state funds for a study that would identify a preferred passenger rail route from Chicago to Omaha.

Up to $1 million in state matching funds were approved by the Iowa Transportation Commission Tuesday to secure $1 million in federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The study will include identification of a preferred route, completion of environmental studies, ridership potential, preliminary engineering plans, and cost estimates.

"By completing the study, Iowa will be able to apply for federal funding for future passenger rail service expansion" said Iowa Department of Transportation spokeswoman Dena Gray-Fisher.

"The project is part of the Iowa Connections rail service plan" said state officials. The goal of the plan's first phase is rail service from Iowa City to Chicago via the Quad Cities and service from Dubuque to Chicago.

A second phase may extend those routes to Des Moines and Waterloo.

Funding for the state match came from the Iowa Rail Service Revolving Funds, which received $3 million in fiscal year 2010 through the state's I-JOBS legislation.