Durbin, Duckworth, Sorensen Announce Funding Extension for Chicago-Quad Cities Rail Project

Durbin, Duckworth, Sorensen Announce Funding Extension for Chicago-Quad Cities Rail Project

With this funding extension, the remaining federal funding can be used to proceed with the Chicago-Quad Cities Rail Project

[CHICAGO, IL] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) today announced that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has approved a grant extension for the remaining federal funding previously secured for the proposed Chicago-Quad Cities passenger rail project, an Amtrak route between Chicago and Moline, Illinois. The extension will allow the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to use the remaining federal funding to complete the rail project after more than a decade of planning.

Today's announcement comes after Duckworth, Durbin and Sorensen urged U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Federal Railroad Administrator David Fink to grant the extension for the remaining federal funding previously secured for the project. In their June letter, the lawmakers emphasized that the rail line, which Durbin has been advocating for since 2008, could finally move forward as long as the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) extended the availability of previously granted federal funds beyond the deadline of July 31, 2026.

"For too long, the Quad Cities have gone without a passenger rail line to Chicago, limiting Illinoisans' options to get to school, businesses and visit loved ones. With this funding extension, we're closer to delivering the passenger rail service that so many have long been waiting for," Duckworth said. "Investments in our rail system connect communities, grow local economies and give Illinoisans more freedom to get where they need to go. This is a big milestone for our state, and Senator Durbin, Congressman Sorensen and I will continue working alongside our local leaders to strengthen our rail network and ensure it serves all Illinoisans for generations to come."

"Illinois relies on rail to push our economy forward and to ensure statewide connectivity, but we've been missing a critical route between Chicago and the Quad Cities," Durbin said. "For more than 15 years, we've worked with IDOT, Iowa Interstate and BNSF Railroads, and the federal government to make the Chicago-Quad Cities Rail Project possible. With this funding extension from FRA, we can finally make this long-planned project a reality and open up new transit possibilities for Illinoisans."

"I'm very pleased to see this project move forward and bring us one step closer to completing the Chicago-Quad Cities rail connection," said Sorensen. "This investment will strengthen transportation options, support economic growth, and better connect communities across Illinois. Most importantly, it will give our neighbors more reliable ways to get to work, visit family, and access opportunities across the region."

In 2010, Durbin secured $177 million in federal funding for the rail project. The rail line was delayed for years because former Governor Rauner refused to provide state funding for it. In 2019, Governor Pritzker renewed the state's commitment to the project by providing $225 million in state funding through the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program. Recent enactment of the state's transit bill, along with other state funding sources, will provide the additional funding necessary for the project. Durbin has repeatedly secured extensions of the federal funding.

In June, Durbin met with IDOT Secretary Gia Biagi and Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) CEO Joe Parsons to discuss the rail project.

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