High Speed Rail Alliance

08/29/2026

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently announced $5.3 billion for railroad projects, via the recently renamed National Railroad Partnership Program.

The funding includes roughly $2 billion for new U.S.-built trainsets; $659 million to relocate and modernize Amtrak’s maintenance facilities in Chicago, along with bridge and viaduct upgrades at the new facility; and more than 30 track, station, and grade-separation projects across the U.S.

The money is welcome. These are important projects. Even so, this big announcement doesn’t add up.

❌️ This money was appropriated in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act back in 2021. ($2.4 billion of it was clawed back from California High-Speed Rail.)

❌️ The White House claims to be creating a "golden age of rail" while proposing to cut FRA funding by 81% and Amtrak funding by up to 69%.

❌️ The vision is way too small. $5.3 billion is cute, but for perspective, reconstructing a mere 24 miles of I-45 in Texas is projected to cost $13 billion.

A closer look at Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's "golden age of rail" and how a recent batch of "new" federal grants is anything but.

08/28/2026

🧳 Become a member through Sept. 18 to receive an HSRA luggage tag: https://www.hsrail.org/become-a-member-end-of-summer-2026/

🏛️ There's a lot at stake for U.S. passenger rail this year.

🚄 Your support and advocacy helps turn this moment into opportunity.

08/28/2026

Excellent news! California SB 1425 has passed the State Legislature and now awaits Gov. Newsom's signature. The bill is a major step forward in streamlining the construction of California High-Speed Rail. Thank you to everyone in California who took action and urged the Appropriations Committee to get this through!

SACRAMENTO, CA — California State Senator Dave Cortese’s Senate Bill 1425 (SB 1425) has cleared the California Legislature and now advances to the Governor’s

08/26/2026

Great. Now make the Pennsylvanian hourly!

More daily rail service arrives in mid-November, with tickets expected to go on sale in October.

08/26/2026

HSRA Executive Director Rick Harnish weighs in: "The O’Hare Flyer is a really practical solution that I have been wishing to come together for over a decade. The Emanuel administration worked on this for a while. But I think this team finally put the deal together in the right way. What makes this plan practical is that they created a new railroad. They have people with railroad experience on their team. And it’s a very practical infrastructure plan, using City-owned land or existing railroad land. And they have a proven train design. They really put this plan together well.”

However, transit expert Jarrett Walker is skeptical about the new plan.

08/25/2026

A private group has announced plans for an O’Hare express train, with a 15-minute ride between the airport and the Loop. Yes, please.

Imagine getting from downtown to Chicago's busy O'Hare Airport by train in just 15 minutes. A new plan for a "whisper-quiet" electric express train called the "O'Hare Flyer" aims to do just that.

08/25/2026

"Airo locomotives meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 4 emissions standards — the agency’s strictest rules for locomotive engines — significantly reducing particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions."

The $8-billion Airo fleet promises cleaner, more reliable service as passenger rail enjoys record ridership — and faces an uncertain future in Washington.

08/24/2026

Couldn't make our latest webinar? No problem! You can watch the full recording of "Fast Track: The Extraordinary Story of High-Speed Rail" with author, journalist, and railway historian Christian Wolmar on our YouTube channel.

Listen to an exclusive interview with renowned railway historian Ch...

08/23/2026

On Aug. 14, the Federal Railroad Administration announced a $5.3 billion package of investments in U.S. passenger rail. It includes grants of $572 million for a new Midwest Maintenance Facility and $87 million for bridge and viaduct repairs in Chicago. It also includes money for 43 new trainsets in high-demand corridors and 41 overhauled trainsets in the Midwest and Pacific regions.

Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that his department is “making unprecedented investment in Amtrak because President Trump and I are committed to making passenger rail in America great again.” The headline on the press release said “GOLDEN AGE OF RAIL.”

The investments are welcome, obviously, but there’s a caveat. The money isn’t new. It was appropriated by Congress years ago. It’s just now being released (and $2 billion of it was clawed back from California’s high-speed rail project). The vast majority goes to nuts-and-bolts infrastructure upgrades, not ushering in the golden age Duffy promises.

Secretary Duffy and President Trump say they want a "golden age of rail," while expanding highways and defunding other modes of transportation

08/21/2026

We encourage Chicago-area rail advocates to attend the Aug. 26 Ad Hoc Committee on NITA Transition meeting at 9 a.m. hosted by the Regional Transportation Authority, whether in-person or virtually.

Members of the public have the opportunity to provide comment. This period of transition is a tremendous opportunity to let your voice for integrated, electrified, regional rail be heard.

Agenda and registration information is available on the Regional Transportation Authority website. Make sure to signal your attendance in advance via email.

The RTA provides public access to upcoming and previous RTA Board of Directors, Citizen Advisory Board, and Pension Committee meeting.