(The following story by Thomas V. Bona appeared at BusinessRockford.com on May 12, 2009.)
ROCKFORD, Ill. — Restoring Amtrak service through Rockford is one of the “top two priorities” of a key Illinois House panel, its chairwoman said Monday.
“We’re not going to let a capital bill go by or a stimulus package go by without including those expansions,” Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, of the Railroad Industry Committee said Monday during a hearing on Amtrak. The committee includes Reps. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford, and Dave Winters, R-Shirland.
The Rock River Valley is “well-represented with Rep. Jefferson and Rep. Winters, who never let a meeting go by without mentioning service to Rockford and Dubuque,” she said.
Amtrak’s top two officials testified to the committee, explaining how increased federal funding, including the stimulus package, can help the passenger rail service add trains and routes in Illinois. But the key is state officials, who will choose which projects to focus on.
“I know there’s tremendous interest in continuing this pattern of successful development, and the Illinois Department of Transportation has an ambitious plan for the expansion of service on the table,” said Joseph Boardman, Amtrak’s new president and CEO. “We are working with IDOT on this and will do whatever we can to support it.”
Boardman said Amtrak is trying to build a culture of supporting rail service by first focusing on the Northeast, Southern California, the Chicago area and similar successful regions.
Also testifying was Thomas Carper, chairman of Amtrak’s board of directors and former mayor of Macomb.
Boardman, who has crisscrossed the country since being appointed late last year, briefly confused the Rockford and the Quad Cities routes before correcting himself.
“Rock Island and Rockford aren’t the same town,” Winters joked. “We’ll be happy to have you on the first train.”