Funding cleared for Moline-Chicago link

CEDAR RAPIDS - Passenger trains should be running between Chicago and the Quad Cities by Christmas 2014, boosting the hopes of those who want to extend the new Amtrak service to Iowa City.

“It's a motivation for us to continue the advocacy,” said Nancy Quellhorst, president of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce.

“From our perspective, everything is now in place,” said Paul Rumler, executive director of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. “Things are looking good for passenger rail.”

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Monday that $177 million was being "obligated" for a twice-daily Amtrak service between Moline and Chicago by fall 2014.

The award had been announced in October 2010, but this week's move means the funds are available to be spent on the project - clearing the way for track improvements and other work in 2012.

Gov. Terry Branstad and fellow Republicans in the state Legislature oppose the project because of the $3 million annual operating subsidy it would require. Quellhorst and Rumler hope tangible signs of progress will get Iowa's end of the project rolling again.

“The corridor we've been discussing from the start goes on to Iowa City, and the Quad Cities were just the first stop,” Rumler said. “This will be a lesson learned, and we can share the experience of how we got to the Quad Cities and use it as Iowa continues to evaluate.”

The Iowa Legislature did fund a study on extending the service across the state to Omaha, Neb., and that work continues.

“That affords us the opportunity to communicate the significant economic contributions of rail improvements to freight service,” Quellhorst said. “We haven't done that before.”

In August, LaHood announced Iowa and three other states would split $268 million to buy locomotives and passenger cars for new routes.