Chicago-St Louis high-speed rail plans speeding up

SPRINGFIELD — Federal transportation regulators are moving faster than expected on choosing the best route for a section of the Chicago-St. Louis high-speed rail line running through the Illinois state capital.

A spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration, Michael England, says the agency has received a state environmental analysis for the rail corridor. It includes proposals for 11 alternative routes for rail traffic through Springfield.

Public hearings are expected in May or June, and a route could be selected as early as November.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reported Friday that the proposal favored by local officials would consolidate freight and passenger trains on the city’s 10th Street corridor. One study estimates the cost of the moving the route at $318 million and suggests most of that could come from federal funds.