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HB4279 • 2026
PASSENGER RAIL PLANNING ACT
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
PASSENGER RAIL PLANNING ACT
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lilian Jiménez
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid
Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
House Committee Amendment No. 2 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
House Committee Amendment No. 3 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Ryan Spain
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges
House Committee Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges
House Committee Amendment No. 3 Rules Refers to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges
House Committee Amendment No. 3 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield
House Committee Amendment No. 3 Referred to Rules Committee
Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Ann M. Williams
House Committee Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield
House Committee Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael Crawford
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Laura Faver Dias
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield
House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet
Assigned to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lindsey LaPointe
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Dagmara Avelar
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Will Guzzardi
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Joyce Mason
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. La Shawn K. Ford
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin
First Reading
Referred to Rules Committee
Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kam Buckner
Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield
PASSENGER RAIL PLANNING ACT
Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4279 Select Language × The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein. Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet. The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website. NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window. 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Full Text of HB4279 Home Legislation Full Text HB4279 - 104th General Assembly Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Select Menu Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Printer Friendly Version Introduced House Amendment 001 House Amendment 002 House Amendment 003 Printer Friendly Version Introduced House Amendment 001 House Amendment 002 House Amendment 003 Open PDF 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB4279 Introduced 1/14/2026, by Rep. Rita Mayfield and Kam Buckner SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act Creates the Passenger Rail Planning Act. Sets forth intercity passenger rail routes serving or originating in the State. Requires the Department of Transportation to incorporate the aspirational frequencies into the Illinois State Rail Plan and the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan. Authorizes the Department to nominate corridors for inclusion in the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program and enter into memoranda of understanding or other cooperative agreements for each identified interstate corridor to provide for shared data, joint investment prioritization, and aligned performance measures and planning schedules. Requires the Department to include a recurring section titled Progress Toward High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail within each update to the Illinois State Rail Plan and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Requires each Metropolitan Planning Organization in the State to: (1) recognize the target intercity and long-distance passenger rail frequencies; (2) identify relevant rail corridors within or adjacent to the Metropolitan Planning Organization planning area; and (3) include a narrative discussion of how regional transportation investments can support achievement of those frequency targets. Requires the Department and each Metropolitan Planning Organization to consider progress toward the target passenger rail frequencies when developing project prioritization criteria for multimodal investments. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately. LRB104 16936 LNS 30350 b A BILL FOR HB4279 LRB104 16936 LNS 30350 b 1 AN ACT concerning transportation. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 5 Passenger Rail Planning Act. 6 Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that: 7 (1) Illinois is the historic and operational hub of 8 the nation's passenger rail network, serving as the 9 national terminal for multiple passenger rail routes 10 providing vital interstate and regional connections. 11 (2) The Federal Railroad Administration's Midwest 12 Regional Rail Plan (2021) identifies Illinois as the 13 center of a high-frequency intercity rail system 14 connecting major Midwestern cities and states. The Plan 15 identifies service levels on 4 routes radiating from 16 Chicago with 16 hourly to 25 hourly, plus half-hourly 17 peaks, daily departures in each direction per day. 18 (3) The Midwest Regional Rail Plan also identifies 19 other routes radiating from Chicago without specifying 20 service levels. 21 (4) Increasing passenger rail service frequencies 22 across all corridors and long-distance routes will 23 strengthen Illinois' economy, reduce congestion, improve HB4279 - 2 - LRB104 16936 LNS 30350 b 1 sustainability, and enhance access to federal and private 2 investment. 3 (5) It is, therefore, the policy of the State to 4 define and pursue an integrated high-speed and intercity 5 passenger rail network as part of the Illinois State Rail 6 Plan and to ensure that these criteria are incorporated 7 into all metropolitan, regional, and statewide 8 transportation planning processes in a manner consistent 9 with federal law and planning cycles. 10 Section 10. Establishment of target rail frequencies. 11 (a) The following criteria are established for intercity 12 passenger rail routes serving or originating in the State. 13 This outline shall serve as official benchmarks for statewide 14 rail planning, investment prioritization, and coordination 15 with neighboring states, Amtrak, and other railroads. 16 (b) The following corridors shall be designated as: 17 (1) Hourly service routes, with trains operating on 18 pulse schedules at least once per hour, in each direction, 19 throughout the day (5 a.m. to 10 p.m.): 20 (A) Chicago to Milwaukee. 21 (B) Chicago to Madison to St. Paul. 22 (C) Chicago to Rockford. 23 (D) Chicago to East St. Louis to St. Louis to 24 Kansas City. 25 (E) Chicago to Detroit to Toronto. HB4279 - 3 - LRB104 16936 LNS 30350 b 1 (F) Chicago to Cleveland. 2 (G) Chicago to Fort Wayne to Columbus. 3 (H) Chicago to Indianapolis to Cincinnati. 4 (I) Chicago to Indianapolis to Louisville to 5 Nashville to Atlanta. 6 (J) Chicago to Champaign. 7 (K) Chicago to the Northeast Corridor (Acela). 8 (2) Every-2-hour service routes, with trains operating 9 at least once per every 2 hours, in each direction, 10 throughout the day (5 a.m. to 10 p.m.): 11 (A) Chicago to Moline. 12 (B) Chicago to Peoria. 13 (C) Milwaukee to Green Bay (by extension of 14 Chicago to Milwaukee). 15 (3) Every-4-hour service routes, with trains operating 16 at least once per every 4 hours, in each direction, 17 throughout the day (5 a.m. to 10 p.m.): 18 (A) Champaign to Carbondale to Memphis (by 19 extension of Chicago to Champaign). 20 (B) Rockford to East Dubuque (by extension of 21 Chicago to Rockford). 22 (C) Quad Cities to Des Moines to Omaha to Denver 23 (by extension of Chicago to Moline). 24 (D) Chicago to Galesburg to Quincy to Hannibal. 25 (c) The Department of Transportation shall incorporate 26 these aspirational service frequencies into the Illinois State HB4279 - 4 - LRB104 16936 LNS 30350 b 1 Rail Plan prepared under 49 U.S.C. 22705 and into the 2 Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan required under 23 3 U.S.C. 135. 4 (d) For each interstate corridor identified in subsection 5 (b), the Department of Transportation is authorized and 6 encouraged to: 7 (1) nominate such corridors for inclusion in the 8 Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification 9 and Development Program under 49 U.S.C. 25101; and 10 (2) enter into memoranda of understanding or other 11 cooperative agreements with neighboring states under 23 12 U.S.C. 135(b)(1) and 135(c), and consistent with 23 U.S.C. 13 135(e)(3), to provide for shared data, joint investment 14 prioritization, and aligned performance measures and 15 planning schedules. 16 (e) The Department of Transportation shall evaluate 17 opportunities to designate and advance one or more of the 18 corridors identified in subsection (b) as components of the 19 National Multimodal Freight Network under 49 U.S.C. 70103, 20 consistent with the national multimodal freight policy under 21 49 U.S.C. 70101, where such designations would enhance 22 eligibility for federal discretionary or formula funding. 23 (f) The Department of Transportation shall include a 24 recurring section titled "Progress Toward High-Speed and 25 Intercity Passenger Rail" within each update of the Illinois 26 State Rail Plan and Statewide Transportation Improvement HB4279 - 5 - LRB104 16936 LNS 30350 b 1 Program. That section shall summarize: 2 (1) the current level of service frequency in each 3 corridor; 4 (2) the gap between existing and aspirational service 5 levels; 6 (3) investments, capital improvements, or service 7 agreements made toward achieving the target frequencies; 8 and 9 (4) coordination with neighboring states, Amtrak, and 10 federal agencies to advance these targets. 11 (g) The Department of Transportation shall transmit each 12 updated Progress Toward High-Speed and Intercity Passenger 13 Rail section to the Governor and the General Assembly 14 concurrently with the Illinois State Rail Plan submission to 15 the Federal Railroad Administration. 16 (h) The Department of Transportation shall align 17 submissions and project proposals with applicable federal 18 selection preferences in intercity passenger rail and 19 multimodal grant programs, including 49 U.S.C. 24911 20 (Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail), 21 where consistency with the Corridor Identification and 22 Development Program (49 U.S.C. 25101) is favored. 23 Section 15. Metropolitan Planning Organization 24 coordination. 25 (a) Each Metropolitan Planning Organization established HB4279 - 6 - LRB104 16936 LNS 30350 b 1 under 23 U.S.C. 134 within this State shall, during each 2 federally required update of its metropolitan long-range 3 transportation plan or Transportation Improvement Program: 4 (1) recognize the target intercity and long-distance 5 passenger rail frequencies established in Section 10; 6 (2) identify relevant rail corridors within or 7 adjacent to the Metropolitan Planning Organization 8 planning area; and 9 (3) include a narrative discussion of how regional 10 transportation investments can support achievement of 11 those frequency targets. 12 (b) The Department of Transportation shall provide 13 technical assistance, data, modeling tools, and mapping 14 resources to Metropolitan Planning Organizations and regional 15 councils to facilitate integration of passenger rail 16 frequencies into multimodal planning. The Department of 17 Transportation may enter into memoranda of understanding with 18 Amtrak, neighboring state departments of transportation, or 19 regional rail authorities to share data and coordinate 20 planning consistent with this Act. 21 (c) The Department of Transportation shall, at least once 22 every 4 years and consistent with the federal planning update 23 cycle, convene consultations with each Metropolitan Planning 24 Organization to review passenger rail investments, identify 25 opportunities to advance frequency targets, and coordinate 26 applications for federal or multistate funding that support HB4279 - 7 - LRB104 16936 LNS 30350 b 1 those goals. 2 Section 20. Investment prioritization. The Department of 3 Transportation and each Metropolitan Planning Organization 4 shall, to the maximum extent practicable, consider progress 5 toward the target passenger rail frequencies established in 6 Section 10 when developing project prioritization criteria for 7 multimodal investments, particularly those affecting rail 8 capacity, terminal access, or multimodal connectivity. 9 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 10 becoming law. Footer Disclaimer This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706. Contact ILGA Webmaster ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies. 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