Iowa Interstate Railroad and Amtrak are intending jointly to launch conventional-speed (79 mph) passenger service between Chicago and Iowa City over a previously abandoned rail line, reports progressiverailroading.com.
The proposed service, reported progressiverailroading.com, has been approved by the Federal Railroad Administration, but is not expected to begin prior to 2013.
Progressiverailroading.com quoted Iowa Interstate CEO Dennis Miller that the railroad has “spent many hours working with local community leaders, the states of Iowa and Illinois, and Amtrak to make sure that if this service was approved, we could handle it in conjunction with our existing and growing freight business.”
Perhaps contradicting many Class I freight CEOs — who are cool about expanding passenger service over freight railroad track — Iowa Interstate Chairman Henry Posner III, a former Conrail executive, was quoted by progressiverailroading.com that, “The lesson here is that a healthy freight network is the single most important building block for passenger service.”
Related News
- SM Local 24 member joins NABTU, union leaders, elected officials to highlight opportunity in Ohio
- Illinois State Legislative Director helps announce major rail project
- New SMART News features interviews with GP Sellers, incoming GP Coleman, an update on rail legislation following East Palestine, and more
- ‘Best practices’ to be discussed at officers’ TD coalition meeting in May
- From the Ballast: ‘Getting railroaded’
- Union Pacific reaches labor agreement with largest union
- TCU & Shop-Craft Coalition reaches tentative agreement with Amtrak
- Norfolk Southern and SMART-TD statement on conductor redeployment bargaining
- Ohio SLD Whitaker, senators state case for Railway Safety Act before commerce committee
- To better serve you, we have to know where you are!