An agreement between the Illinois Department of Transportation and Union Pacific Railroad aimed at releasing more than $1 billion in federal money for improved passenger train service between St. Louis and Chicago contains no provisions for penalizing the railroad if freight trains interfere with passenger service.
Meanwhile, state taxpayers could end up repaying federal grants if the high-speed rail project doesn’t meet performance goals or if the state curtails high-speed rail service during the next 20 years.
Full story at the State Journal-Register website.