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The latest Quad Cities news, weather and sports from Local 4 WHBF on https://OurQuadCities.com.
Passenger rail from Moline to Chicago in package of bills on governor’s desk
By Linda Cook,
2025-10-31
The proposed passenger rail from Moline to Chicago is closer to becoming a reality after legislation passed Friday.
The Illinois General Assembly passed a package of bills early Friday morning that will increase public transportation funding by $1.5 billion. It includes several provisions – including the rail passenger project from the Quad Cities to Chicago – to boost regional rail in Illinois, which will feed into our ultimate goal of 220-mph high-speed rail routes.
On Friday afternoon, the City of Moline and regional leaders celebrated the passage of the state transit bill, which includes funding for the long-awaited Moline-to-Chicago passenger rail service. Officials shared next steps toward making passenger rail a reality in the Quad Cities at The Q, east end of the Element Hotel Building, 316 12th St., Moline.
Among those who spoke at the gathering were Sangeetha Rayapati, mayor of Moline; Richard “Quijas” Brunk, Rock Island County Board chair; Illinois State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island; Illinois State Rep. Gregg Johnson, D-East Moline; and Dave Harrell, president and CEO of Visit Quad Cities.
The Illinois General Assembly officially has approved the state transit bill, which includes critical funding to launch the long-awaited Moline-to-Chicago passenger rail line. The next step is for the signature of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who has indicated he will sign the legislation.
High Speed Rail Alliance: ‘It’s a true advance’
According to the High Speed Rail Alliance, a study by Argonne National Laboratory determined that every dollar spent on transit produces $13 in economic activity and societal benefit.
In its newsletter, the alliance says: “We are grateful to the legislators who did not give up on this, the legislators who voted for this even though it was a tough vote for them, and to Gov. JB Pritzker and his staff, who helped develop ideas and applied pressure at the right time.
“We also thank our readers and supporters, many of whom made phone calls or sent emails to their legislators, letting them know that transit is important to them. There was no phone call or email that was superfluous; any one of them might have pushed this over the top.
“Many worked hard on this. We were part of a coalition, which included the Active Transportation Alliance, Better Streets Chicago, the Illinois Environmental Council, and the Metropolitan Planning Council. The High Speed Rail Alliance is proud to have been a part of such a dedicated team of activists.”
“All told, we are pleased with this legislation. It’s a true advance that will be good for Chicago, the suburbs and Downstate.”
This milestone marks a major victory for the Quad Cities and years of regional collaboration, the alliance says.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
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