MOLINE, Ill. — A Moline city official is joining a statewide effort to bring a high-speed rail to Illinois.
Bob Vitas, Moline's city administrator, was appointed to the Illinois High-Speed Railway Commission by Gov. JB Pritzker. The group's goal is to create a statewide plan for a high-speed rail connecting Chicago to St. Louis, which would also include a Quad Cities stop. In a statement, Vidas said that he wants to be a voice at the table, even as Moline's downtown rail station is still unused.
“I will serve in this position until such time as the commission completes its works and provides the Illinois Legislature with a plan for high-speed rail to serve Illinois. It will not resolve the issues with Iowa Interstate directly, but it will impact those discussions as Moline is a principal city to be served connecting to the high-speed rail. At the end of the day Moline’s Amtrak service will connect the city to Chicago and the high-speed rail system,” Vitas said.
The committee was formed in 2021 and is authorized to work through 2026.
If implemented, the high-speed railway would be integrated with existing Amtrak and Metra services as well as intercity bus lines. The railway would start at O'Hare International Airport and connect the cities of Rockford, Moline, Peoria and Decatur. From O'Hare to downtown St. Louis would take a rider just 127 minutes.
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