Q-C passenger rail gets outside help

Font Size:

By Kay Luna | Tuesday, May 15, 2007 12:14 AM CDT | () comments

The Quad-City area’s push for Amtrak passenger-rail service to Chicago could get help from some unlikely allies: Two other cities competing for a route.

Officials in Dubuque, Iowa, and Peoria, Ill., say they are willing to cooperate with the Quad-Cities in landing new Amtrak rail routes to Chicago, possibly promoting the idea as a regional package instead of competing nose-to-nose for the service.

The offer came as a surprise Monday to Rock Island County Board chairman Jim Bohnsack, who is leading a new advocacy group called Quad-Cities Passenger Rail Coalition, or QC Rail, meant to organize local support for the rail service.

“Well, I’ll be darned,” Bohnsack said, adding that he plans to discuss the idea with coalition members during a meeting today. “That does sound interesting.”

Bohnsack said he had hoped publicity about the new coalition — announced late last week — would spur participation in the effort, but he didn’t expect this.

The idea of working together makes sense, said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari, who explained the state is looking at possible new passenger rail routes but has not approved any plans or funding yet.

Quad-City leaders hope to land the service in two years.

“Certainly the larger the voice calling for service — and the more support from elected officials, appointed officials and opinion leaders — the more likely it is that the funding can be found to operate the service,” Magliari said.

A feasibility study to determine potential routes is under way for the Quad-Cities, and Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis said a feasibility study for his central Illinois community is expected to follow.

Historically, the old Rock Island Line routes from the Quad-Cities link with Peoria, and that’s “certainly one of the routes we’ll look at,” Magliari said. However, he warned that the route might not be in good enough condition for passenger trains to operate at speeds competitive with driving speeds.

With that possible route connection in mind, the idea of pooling regional resources to show broad-based support is excellent, the Peoria mayor said.

“It’s hard for our individual cities to make something like rail service happen without partnering with our neighbors,” Ardis said. “The big thing for our communities to consider is going to be the cost, and that ultimately may be what drives us to work together.”

Meanwhile, an Amtrak study for the Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque corridor has been done, said David Overby, chairman of the Envision 2010 Passenger Train Committee in Dubuque. He said via e-mail that the route comes with a price tag of $22 million to upgrade track and an annual $3.5 million operating subsidy.

Overby said he served a few years ago on Clinton’s push to get Amtrak service through that city. The effort was unsuccessful, but Overby said he hopes he learned something about lobbying for railroad service that “we now can put to good use.”

“Contemporary wisdom has it that Illinois will fund the Chicago-to-Dubuque and Quad Cities and Peoria routes as one package,” he said. “We are keen on cooperating with the Quad Cities and Peoria on this project.”

Kay Luna can be contacted at (563) 383-2323 or kluna@qctimes.com.