Chicago to Council Bluffs-Omaha Regional Passenger Rail System Planning Study

Join us!
The Iowa Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration and Illinois Department of Transportation, has completed the Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for the Chicago to Council Bluffs-Omaha Regional Passenger Rail System Planning Study. Even though the comment period for the Tier 1 Draft EIS has ended, you can still view the document, as well as the associated maps and exhibits. View the full Draft EIS.

Additional study deliverables, including the Tier 1 Final EIS and the Service Development Plan will be posted to the project web site after they are finalized.

Dependant on funding availability, the project will move on to the next step, which is a staged implementation plan involving Tier 2 Project Level Environmental Studies, preliminary design, final design, right-of-way acquisition, construction of infrastructure upgrades, and implementation of the service.

Review the December public hearing materials.

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If you would like to be notified about the Chicago to Council Bluffs-Omaha Regional Passenger Rail System Planning Study, please join our mailing list.


The Study
The Chicago to Council Bluffs-Omaha Regional Passenger Rail System Planning Study has completed the Tier 1 Draft EIS that analyzes the feasibility of expanding existing passenger rail service and developing a new regional passenger rail service from Chicago, Ill., to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Neb.

The purpose of this study is to:

• Evaluate potential route alternatives.
• Evaluate levels of service and ridership potential.
• Analyze potential environmental impacts.
• Determine a preferred route alternative for Chicago to Council Bluffs-Omaha passenger rail service.

The potential improvements would complement the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative's vision for developing an improved and expanded regional intercity passenger rail system. The completion of the study will be a major step in assessing the viability of a high-speed, regional intercity passenger rail system serving Iowa and the Midwest through this corridor. Expanding passenger rail service between Chicago and Council Bluffs-Omaha would provide decreased travel times, increased frequency of passenger rail service, and improved reliability (particularly in inclement weather) versus other travel modes.