U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) is asking Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner to release previously approved state funding for a Chicago-to-Quad Cities Amtrak line.
In a letter to the governor, the Democratic congresswoman from the Quad Cities area said she has met with business leaders, elected officials and families across central and western Illinois.
“In these meetings, I have heard from countless people how important it is to follow through on the promise of connecting the Quad Cities and Chicago with passenger rail service,” Bustos wrote.
Bustos also said the federal government has already provided an extension for the state to take advantage of federal funds for this project, but it expires June 30.
“For the sake of our transportation system and our economy, I hope you will not allow these funds to expire without bringing their benefits to bear in the state of Illinois,” she wrote.
The governor’s office said the project remains “under review” after an executive order Rauner signed last year froze grants and public works projects as part of a comprehensive look at state spending.
Passenger rail service between Chicago and the Quad Cities ended in 1978.
