Bill > HB3285

This bill appropriates a total of $575,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Department of Transportation for the Statewide Railway Program, with funds allocated across six key areas: $70 million for planning and environmental clearance of a new high-speed electrified rail line capable of exceeding 186 miles per hour; $230 million for capital improvements to existing and new passenger rail routes, including bridge repairs, track upgrades, and train control systems; $100 million for purchasing modern trains and constructing or modernizing maintenance facilities; $2 million for adding professional staff to the rail division; $100 million for operating passenger trains connecting communities outside the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) boundaries to Chicago, O'Hare, and other communities; $50 million for maintaining mainline tracks at high-quality standards; and $23 million for operating regional buses to connect communities without railway stations to the state passenger rail network. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and aims to comprehensively improve and expand Illinois' passenger rail infrastructure and services.

Budget and Finance

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3285&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104