PASSENGER RAIL PLANNING ACT

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB3285

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3285

Introduced 2/3/2026, by Sen. Ram Villivalam

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 17224 LNS 30645 b

A BILL FOR

SB3285
LRB104 17224 LNS 30645 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

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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

(6) The General Assembly recognizes that many existing
11

intercity and long-distance passenger rail services within
12

the State operate over infrastructure that is privately
13

owned and controlled by railroads. These railroads operate
14

complex, capital-intensive networks with operating
15

practices designed to meet the needs of their customers,
16

including the efficient movement of long trains whose
17

schedules may be less time-sensitive than frequent
18

passenger rail service. High-frequency, time-sensitive
19

passenger rail operations may be operationally
20

inconsistent with certain railroad business models,
21

particularly where network capacity is constrained or
22

dispatching priorities differ.
23

(7) The General Assembly further recognizes that train
24

paths, operating slots, dispatching priority, and network
25

capacity on privately owned railroad infrastructure are
26

valuable commercial assets. Sustainable and scalable

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passenger rail service requires fair, transparent, and
2

mutually beneficial compensation arrangements that reflect
3

the value of these assets, the opportunity costs of their
4

use, and the capital and operating impacts borne by
5

railroads.
6

(8) The aspirational passenger rail frequencies
7

established in this Act are intended to guide long-term
8

planning and investment prioritization and shall not be
9

construed to require that future passenger rail services
10

operate on the same rail lines, alignments, or
11

infrastructure currently in use. In planning to achieve
12

these frequencies, the Department of Transportation and
13

Metropolitan Planning Organizations shall consider all
14

reasonable infrastructure and operational options,
15

including capacity expansions, grade separations, advanced
16

dispatching systems, shared-use agreements, and the
17

construction of new or improved publicly owned rail
18

infrastructure where appropriate.
19

(9) The General Assembly affirms the essential role of
20

railroads in supporting the State's economy, supply
21

chains, and industrial competitiveness. Railroads
22

operating within the State have distinct network
23

configurations, customer mixes, investment strategies, and
24

long-term growth plans. Passenger rail planning under this
25

Act shall consider these differences and seek solutions
26

that respect railroad operational needs while advancing

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statewide passenger mobility goals.
2

(10) The General Assembly further finds that intercity
3

passenger rail planning is closely linked to airport
4

planning and aviation system performance. Planning under
5

this Act shall consider how expanded passenger rail
6

service can improve access to commercial service airports,
7

reduce roadway congestion, and expand nonautomobile travel
8

options for passengers, employees, and visitors traveling
9

to and from airports.
10

(11) Passenger rail planning shall also consider
11

airside capacity constraints at airports, including gate
12

utilization, runway capacity, and airline slot usage, and
13

how improved rail connectivity may allow certain
14

short-haul air markets to be supplemented or replaced by
15

passenger rail service where appropriate. Such planning
16

may identify opportunities to reallocate limited aviation
17

capacity toward longer-distance or higher-value air
18

service when comparable rail alternatives exist.

19

Section 10.
Establishment of target rail frequencies.
20

(a) The following criteria are established for intercity
21
passenger rail routes serving or originating in the State.
22
This outline shall serve as official benchmarks for statewide
23
rail planning, investment prioritization, and coordination
24
with neighboring states, Amtrak, and other railroads.
25

(b) The following corridors shall be designated as:

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(1) Hourly service routes, with trains operating on
2

pulse schedules at least once per hour, in each direction,
3

throughout the day (5 a.m. to 10 p.m.):
4

(A) Chicago to Milwaukee.
5

(B) Chicago to Madison to St. Paul.
6

(C) Chicago to Rockford.
7

(D) Chicago to East St. Louis to St. Louis to
8

Kansas City.
9

(E) Chicago to Detroit to Toronto.
10

(F) Chicago to Cleveland.
11

(G) Chicago to Fort Wayne to Columbus.
12

(H) Chicago to Indianapolis to Cincinnati.
13

(I) Chicago to Indianapolis to Louisville to
14

Nashville to Atlanta.
15

(J) Chicago to Champaign.
16

(K) Chicago to the Northeast Corridor (Acela).
17

(2) Every-2-hour service routes, with trains operating
18

at least once per every 2 hours, in each direction,
19

throughout the day (5 a.m. to 10 p.m.):
20

(A) Chicago to Moline.
21

(B) Chicago to Peoria.
22

(C) Milwaukee to Green Bay (by extension of
23

Chicago to Milwaukee).
24

(3) Every-4-hour service routes, with trains operating
25

at least once per every 4 hours, in each direction,
26

throughout the day (5 a.m. to 10 p.m.):

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(A) Champaign to Carbondale to Memphis (by
2

extension of Chicago to Champaign).
3

(B) Rockford to East Dubuque (by extension of
4

Chicago to Rockford).
5

(C) Quad Cities to Des Moines to Omaha to Denver
6

(by extension of Chicago to Moline).
7

(D) Chicago to Galesburg to Quincy to Hannibal.
8

(c) The Department of Transportation shall incorporate
9
these aspirational service frequencies into the Illinois State
10
Rail Plan prepared under 49 U.S.C. 22705 and into the
11
Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan required under 23
12
U.S.C. 135.
13

(d) For each interstate corridor identified in subsection
14
(b), the Department of Transportation is authorized and
15
encouraged to:
16

(1) nominate such corridors for inclusion in the
17

Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification
18

and Development Program under 49 U.S.C. 25101; and
19

(2) enter into memoranda of understanding or other
20

cooperative agreements with neighboring states under 23
21

U.S.C. 135(b)(1) and 135(c), and consistent with 23 U.S.C.
22

135(e)(3), to provide for shared data, joint investment
23

prioritization, and aligned performance measures and
24

planning schedules.
25

(e) The Department of Transportation shall evaluate
26
opportunities to designate and advance one or more of the

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corridors identified in subsection (b) as components of the
2
National Multimodal Freight Network under 49 U.S.C. 70103,
3
consistent with the national multimodal freight policy under
4
49 U.S.C. 70101, where such designations would enhance
5
eligibility for federal discretionary or formula funding.
6

(f) The Department of Transportation shall include a
7
recurring section titled "Progress Toward High-Speed and
8
Intercity Passenger Rail" within each update of the Illinois
9
State Rail Plan and Statewide Transportation Improvement
10
Program. That section shall summarize:
11

(1) the current level of service frequency in each
12

corridor;
13

(2) the gap between existing and aspirational service
14

levels;
15

(3) investments, capital improvements, or service
16

agreements made toward achieving the target frequencies;
17

and
18

(4) coordination with neighboring states, Amtrak, and
19

federal agencies to advance these targets.
20

(g) The Department of Transportation shall transmit each
21
updated Progress Toward High-Speed and Intercity Passenger
22
Rail section to the Governor and the General Assembly
23
concurrently with the Illinois State Rail Plan submission to
24
the Federal Railroad Administration.
25

(h) The Department of Transportation shall align
26
submissions and project proposals with applicable federal

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selection preferences in intercity passenger rail and
2
multimodal grant programs, including 49 U.S.C. 24911
3
(Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail),
4
where consistency with the Corridor Identification and
5
Development Program (49 U.S.C. 25101) is favored.
6

(i) In carrying out the requirements of this Act, the
7
Department of Transportation shall coordinate passenger rail
8
planning with airport sponsors, aviation authorities, and
9
relevant planning agencies. Such coordination shall address
10
both landside access to airports, including passenger rail
11
connections, and airside capacity considerations, including
12
potential implications for gate usage, airline scheduling, and
13
regional aviation demand where passenger rail alternatives are
14
planned or proposed.
15

(j) To the extent a State rail plan or related statewide
16
rail planning document is in effect or subsequently adopted,
17
the Department of Transportation shall ensure reciprocal
18
integration between passenger rail planning under this Act and
19
other statewide rail planning efforts. Such integration shall
20
include consideration of railroad capacity needs and expansion
21
plans in passenger rail planning, and consideration of
22
aspirational passenger rail service levels when evaluating
23
infrastructure investments, including new or replacement
24
bridges, grade separations, terminal improvements, and
25
dispatching protocols intended to reduce operational
26
conflicts.

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Section 15.
Metropolitan Planning Organization
2
coordination.
3

(a) Each Metropolitan Planning Organization established
4
under 23 U.S.C. 134 within this State shall, during each
5
federally required update of its metropolitan long-range
6
transportation plan or Transportation Improvement Program:
7

(1) recognize the target intercity and long-distance
8

passenger rail frequencies established in Section 10;
9

(2) identify relevant rail corridors within or
10

adjacent to the Metropolitan Planning Organization
11

planning area; and
12

(3) include a narrative discussion of how regional
13

transportation investments can support achievement of
14

those frequency targets.
15

(b) The Department of Transportation shall provide
16
technical assistance, data, modeling tools, and mapping
17
resources to Metropolitan Planning Organizations and regional
18
councils to facilitate integration of passenger rail
19
frequencies into multimodal planning. The Department of
20
Transportation may enter into memoranda of understanding with
21
Amtrak, neighboring state departments of transportation, or
22
regional rail authorities to share data and coordinate
23
planning consistent with this Act.
24

(c) The Department of Transportation shall, at least once
25
every 4 years and consistent with the federal planning update

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cycle, convene consultations with each Metropolitan Planning
2
Organization to review passenger rail investments, identify
3
opportunities to advance frequency targets, and coordinate
4
applications for federal or multistate funding that support
5
those goals.

6

Section 20.
Investment prioritization.
The Department of
7
Transportation and each Metropolitan Planning Organization
8
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, consider progress
9
toward the target passenger rail frequencies established in
10
Section 10 when developing project prioritization criteria for
11
multimodal investments, particularly those affecting rail
12
capacity, terminal access, or multimodal connectivity.

13

Section 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect upon
14
becoming law.

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