It's a good day for Illinois' advocates of high-speed rail.
They say they're thrilled with word from the White House on Thursday that a Chicago-St. Louis route will get $1.1 billion in stimulus money to upgrade tracks so trains can reach 110 mph.
That's the most important stretch in a proposed Midwest network with a Chicago hub. But others are getting money, too, including $810 million for a Madison, Wis.,-to-Milwaukee line. Projects in California and Florida also secured large grants.
Illinois PIRG's Brian Imus welcomes the money. But he adds that it's just a down payment on a network that'll cost billions more.
Not everyone's happy.
Florida Congressman John Mica complains the Midwest got money more for political reasons than for the merits of it's network.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
They say they're thrilled with word from the White House on Thursday that a Chicago-St. Louis route will get $1.1 billion in stimulus money to upgrade tracks so trains can reach 110 mph.
That's the most important stretch in a proposed Midwest network with a Chicago hub. But others are getting money, too, including $810 million for a Madison, Wis.,-to-Milwaukee line. Projects in California and Florida also secured large grants.
Illinois PIRG's Brian Imus welcomes the money. But he adds that it's just a down payment on a network that'll cost billions more.
Not everyone's happy.
Florida Congressman John Mica complains the Midwest got money more for political reasons than for the merits of it's network.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
