The MWRRP also envisions advancing and elevating MIPRC “as a governance structure with the clear authority, responsibility and mandate for overseeing and implementing the outcomes of the Midwest’s intercity rail planning initiative.” (MWRRP executive summary)
The plan was developed over several years under an FRA-led planning project. MIPRC and the twelve Midwestern state DOTs were the primary stakeholders for the plan’s development, with other entities – such as Amtrak, Class I railroads, metropolitan planning organizations, advocacy groups and chambers of commerce – serving in a supporting role.
Right now the FRA Midwest Regional Rail Plan is a “high level” conceptual plan. Over the next several years, MIPRC and the Midwestern state DOTs will work to refine and prioritize corridor development to ensure that the region does indeed build on current plans to create a robust Midwest passenger rail network, serving all the states, and both urban and rural communities.