Peoria Passenger Rail

Last Updated October 23, 2024

Peoria to Chicago Passenger Rail Service

All aboard the new Peoria to Chicago passenger rail corridor, tracing the historic Rock Island Peoria Rocket route! With this new route, communities like Peru-LaSalle, Utica, Ottawa, and Morris will finally have access to rail service, offering 5 daily round trips to Peoria, Joliet, Chicago Union Station, and more, with a flag stop at the stunning Starved Rock State Park. The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, Iowa Interstate Railroad, CSX Transportation, Metra, and Amtrak will be involved in bringing this exciting project to life, with a potential of 600 daily riders. Peoria, the largest metropolitan area in Illinois without passenger rail service, is working to get the transportation upgrade it deserves!

Overview

The City of Peoria is the largest metropolitan area in Illinois without passenger rail service. However, a feasibility study for a passenger rail between Peoria and Chicago Union Station was conducted by the Illinois Department of Transportation and found that the route is feasible, projected ridership levels are sufficient, and further analysis is warranted.

The initiative to establish passenger rail service in the city and its neighboring areas has received strong support. Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) under cooperation and assistance by the Tri-County Metro area and supporting communities, associations, and others as described below as the Passenger Rail Steering Committee, completed a feasibility study for passenger rail between Peoria and Chicago Union Station (CUS) to connect with Amtrak’s national rail network. The primary studied alignment was the former Rock Island Peoria Rocket passenger route, which operated between 1937-1978.

The Peoria to Chicago Passenger Rail Service aims to increase safety by diverting car trips to rail travel, projected to attract an average of 600 daily riders. Proposed improvements include upgrading at-grade crossings with signals and gates to reduce accidents and evaluating all crossings for possible closure or grade separation. Upgrades to the rail infrastructure, including tracks and bridges, will provide safer transportation for freight trains and on-time performance for the proposed passenger service with 6 trips a day at 79 mph.

To keep this initiative progressing, the City of Peoria applied for federal funding through available grant programs. In December 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded the city $500,000 for Step 1, which is the next phase of planning through the Corridor Identification and Development (CID) Program. The work includes completing the scope of work, schedule and budget necessary to complete a Step 2 Service Development Plan. As part of this funding, alternate routes are also being investigated which could serve the purpose and need. Currently FRA is reviewing the submittals of Step 1 and an approval is anticipated in December 2024. Upon approval, the City will move forward with Step 2, a Service Development Plan.

A Service Development Plan (SDP) takes a closer look at route options, stations, service, operations, costs, and financing for the proposed rail corridor. As part of the SDP, other routes will also be investigated to evaluate if they serve the Purpose and Need. Step 2 is anticipated to take 24 – 30 months to complete and provides a selected route and plan for the initial rail service.

Step 3 is the final step in the CID Program, but not the final step in project development. In Step 3 preliminary engineering and the NEPA process take place. This step may take 36 months to complete. Upon federal approval of the NEPA process, the project will progress as a capital project and must seek additional funding for final design and construction.

Passenger Rail Steering Committee

In August 2021, City of Peoria Mayor Rita Ali established the Passenger Rail Steering Committee to oversee the Peoria Rail Passenger Feasibility Study and the initiative to bring passenger rail service to Peoria. As a preferred route was identified, the committee expanded its membership to include a diverse group of representatives. The Committee meets on a regular basis to share updates and ideas for this project. The committee is comprised of:

City of Peoria Mayor Rita Ali – Co-Chair
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood – Co-Chair
18th District US Representative Darin LaHood
46th District Illinois State Senator Dave Koehler
92nd District Illinois State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth
73rd District Illinois State Representative Ryan Spain
City of Peoria Councilman At-Large Sid Ruckriegel
North Central Illinois Council of Governments Executive Director Kevin Lindeman
Tri-County Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Eric Miller
IDOT Secretary of Transportation Omer Osman
City of LaSalle Mayor Jeff Grove
City of Morris Mayor Chris Brown
Village of North Utica President David Stewart
City of Ottawa Mayor Dan Aussem
City of Peru Mayor Ken Kolowski
LaSalle County Chairman Don Jensen
Peoria County Board Chairman Jimmy Dillon
Bradley University Executive Director Brad McMillan
West Central Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council Representative Matt Bartolo
Greater Peoria Economic Development Council CEO Chris Setti
Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce/CEO Council CEO Joshua Gunn
Discover Peoria CEO J.D. Dalfonso

This effort has received tremendous support from elected officials, community organizations, and business leaders including:

Funding

This initiative will take time to implement and a great deal of money. The City of Peoria is working with the Illinois Department of Transportation and through federal grant opportunities to secure funding to continue the forward momentum to bring passenger rail service to Peoria.

In December 2023, the City of Peoria learned their grant application was successful. They were awarded $500,000 through the Corridor Identification and Development (CID) Program from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). These funds are to be used for Step 1 of the CID Program and do not require any local match. Upon approval, the City will move forward with Step 2, a Service Development Plan. Approval of Step 1 provides additional federal funds requiring a 10% match from the City of Peoria to complete Step 2.