UPDATE: MIPRC asks Congress to fund restoration of daily service on Amtrak's long-distance trains UPDATE: MIPRC asks Congress to fund restoration of daily service on Amtrak's long-distance trains Biden Administration's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill includes $1.5 billion for Amtrak Jon Davis / Tuesday, February 9, 2021 0 49 UPDATE: The current version of the U.S. House THUD COVID-relief legislation (S. Con Res 5), contains $1.5 billion for Amtrak, specifically $820,388,160 for the Northeast Corridor and $679,611,840 for the National Network. Read more
MIPRC asks Congress to fund restoration of daily service on Amtrak's long-distance trains MIPRC asks Congress to fund restoration of daily service on Amtrak's long-distance trains Jon Davis / Thursday, January 28, 2021 0 185 MIPRC is asking Midwestern members of Congress to support $1.54 billion in additional FY 2021 funding for Amtrak as part of their pending COVID-19 relief legislation to restore daily service on the national passenger railroad's long-distance train routes. Read more
MIPRC asks Congress to fully fund Amtrak between COVID-19 relief and/or FY 2021 appropriations MIPRC asks Congress to fully fund Amtrak between COVID-19 relief and/or FY 2021 appropriations Jon Davis / Wednesday, December 16, 2020 0 211 As Congress closes in on a deal for new COVID-19 relief legislation and FY 2021 appropriations, MIPRC is asking Midwestern members to ensure Amtrak gets enough funding between relief and 2021 appropriations to restore daily long-distance service and provide crucial funding for state-supported Amtrak services. Read more
MIPRC's 2020 'virtual' annual meeting draws record attendance MIPRC's 2020 'virtual' annual meeting draws record attendance Jon Davis / Friday, December 4, 2020 0 433 Commissioners, partners and allies of the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission met via Zoom on Nov. 10-11 for MIPRC’s 2020 Annual Meeting, to assess regional developments since 2019 and plan for 2021. Read more
MIPRC asks Midwestern members of Congress to support the 'Moving America Forward' Act's rail title MIPRC asks Midwestern members of Congress to support the 'Moving America Forward' Act's rail title SuperUser Account / Thursday, July 2, 2020 0 870 MIPRC asked Midwestern members of Congress to support the provisions and authorizations for passenger rail development contained in the TRAIN Act (Division D--Rail) of the House of Representatives’ proposed new five-year surface transportation authorization bill, HR 2, the “Moving Forward Act,” and to support a few important additions. (The bill was approved in the House on July 1 by a 233-188 vote). Read more
MIPRC files comments on FRA's proposed new rule, 'Metrics and Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail Service'; lauds strong OTP rule MIPRC files comments on FRA's proposed new rule, 'Metrics and Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail Service'; lauds strong OTP rule SuperUser Account / Tuesday, June 2, 2020 0 720 The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission supports the on-time performance standards in the Federal Railroad Administration’s proposed new rule Metrics and Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail Service. In formal comments filed June 1, MIPRC lauded the rule, jointly developed by FRA and Amtrak, agreeing with its main components while offering several suggestions on how particular aspects of the rule can be strengthened. Read more
MIPRC testifies in support of FRA's proposed metrics and standards for intercity passenger rail MIPRC testifies in support of FRA's proposed metrics and standards for intercity passenger rail SuperUser Account / Friday, May 1, 2020 0 881 MIPRC Chair Bob Guy offered brief testimony in support of the Federal Railroad Administration’s proposed notice of proposed rulemaking on Metrics and Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail Service during the agency’s April 30 telephonic public hearing. Read more
MIPRC begins planning effort for infrastructure round of COVID-19 stimulus MIPRC begins planning effort for infrastructure round of COVID-19 stimulus SuperUser Account / Friday, April 10, 2020 0 1073 The efforts of MIPRC and other passenger rail advocates to support Amtrak’s request for $1 billion in emergency funding for this fiscal year – including money to offset state losses – paid off late last month when Congress passed, and President Trump signed, the latest COVID-19 relief/stimulus bill. Read more
MIPRC asks Congress to provide Amtrak $1 billion in COVID-19 emergency relief MIPRC asks Congress to provide Amtrak $1 billion in COVID-19 emergency relief SuperUser Account / Sunday, March 22, 2020 0 898 MIPRC today sent a letter to Midwestern members of Congress in support of Amtrak’s request for $1 billion in emergency funding for this fiscal year – including $200 million to offset state losses – and include it in the latest COVID-19 relief/stimulus bill currently being negotiated. Read more
MIPRC on-time performance legislative resolution available; advances in Illinois MIPRC on-time performance legislative resolution available; advances in Illinois SuperUser Account / Monday, March 16, 2020 0 768 One key to successful passenger rail service is reliable schedules giving travelers a certain – or near-certain – expectation that trains arrive at or leave the station when the timetable says they will. Read more
New video lays out MIPRC's vision for Midwest passenger rail New video lays out MIPRC's vision for Midwest passenger rail SuperUser Account / Monday, November 25, 2019 0 1548 The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission has released a first-ever video explaining our states' vision to protect and expand passenger rail service in the Midwest. Read more
Midwest ridership sustaining strong 10-year growth Midwest ridership sustaining strong 10-year growth SuperUser Account / Friday, November 22, 2019 0 1610 Passenger rail ridership in the Midwest maintained strong overall growth over the decade from federal fiscal years 2009 to 2019, according to MIPRC’s annual evaluation of Amtrak data. Ridership on state-supported corridor services rose 14 percent over the 10 years from Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2009 to FFY 2019, while ridership on the region’s long-distance trains rose five percent in the same period. Read more
MIPRC holds Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., to amplify Midwest's voice as FAST Act renewal begins MIPRC holds Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., to amplify Midwest's voice as FAST Act renewal begins SuperUser Account / Thursday, October 31, 2019 0 2128 The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission combined its annual meeting and visit to Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., this October to amplify the region’s voice as Congress begins discussing renewal of the law that sets federal policy and authorizes spending on surface transportation (the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation [FAST] Act of 2015, which expires in 2020). Read more
MIPRC urges Congress to strongly support passenger rail funding in federal 2020 budget MIPRC urges Congress to strongly support passenger rail funding in federal 2020 budget SuperUser Account / Tuesday, April 30, 2019 0 1709 The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission on April 26 submitted written “outside witness testimony” to the House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies regarding appropriations to the U.S. Department of Transportation and to Amtrak for Federal Fiscal Year 2020. Read more
Midwest maintains long-term passenger rail ridership growth Midwest maintains long-term passenger rail ridership growth SuperUser Account / Wednesday, December 5, 2018 0 3129 Ridership and ticket revenue on state-supported passenger trains in the Midwest enjoyed robust growth over the 10 years from Fiscal Year 2008 to FY 2018, according to an analysis by the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission. Read more
MIPRC annual meeting reviews a busy 2018, looks ahead to a busier 2019 MIPRC annual meeting reviews a busy 2018, looks ahead to a busier 2019 SuperUser Account / Thursday, October 18, 2018 0 3683 The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission’s 2018 annual meeting convened in Milwaukee on October 3-5 to review developments since the 2017 annual meeting and lay the groundwork for what promises to be a busy 2019. Read more
MIPRC to Congress, FRA, Amtrak: Sustain the federal-state partnership for passenger rail MIPRC to Congress, FRA, Amtrak: Sustain the federal-state partnership for passenger rail SuperUser Account / Wednesday, June 13, 2018 0 2349 There is more to Amtrak than the Northeast Corridor, and good things are happening in the Midwest thanks to sustained federal investment in regional passenger rail. That was the message delivered last month when MIPRC commissioners and partners visited Washington, D.C., to meet with Midwestern members of Congress and federal officials. Read more
Midwest enjoys strong 10-year ridership gains Midwest enjoys strong 10-year ridership gains SuperUser Account / Friday, February 9, 2018 0 4065 Ridership on both state-supported and long-distance routes in the Midwest grew on almost every route in the 10 years from Fiscal Year 2007 to FY 2017. Read more
MIPRC supports Missouri's INFRA grant application to renovate the Merchants Bridge MIPRC supports Missouri's INFRA grant application to renovate the Merchants Bridge SuperUser Account / Tuesday, December 12, 2017 0 2703 The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission last month endorsed the Missouri Department of Transportation’s application for a $73.1 million federal INFRA (Infrastructure For Rebuilding America) grant to help replace the 127-year-old Merchants Bridge spanning the Mississippi River between Venice, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri. Read more
Siemens to build Midwest's new high-speed passenger cars Siemens to build Midwest's new high-speed passenger cars SuperUser Account / Tuesday, November 14, 2017 0 5334 Siemens will build 137 new, single-level passenger cars for California and some of the Midwest’s state-supported routes, replacing a bi-level design that failed federally-mandated crash tests, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced on November 8. Read more