Amtrak and Midwest partners celebrate federal grants for CHIP

Amtrak and its Midwest partners have been awarded more than $101 million to
improve existing routes and advance plans to expand Amtrak service as part of CHIP, the
Chicago Hub Improvement Program.

“At Amtrak, we are working with our partners to maximise Chicago’s role as the central hub of
Amtrak’s National Network and position intercity passenger rail as an engine for improved
mobility and economic growth,” said Amtrak Board Chair Tony Coscia. “These grant awards
propel us on that mission.”

Multiple grants announced today will go directly to Amtrak; others will support existing and
potential partners, under the USDOT’s Federal State Partnership (“Fed-State”) and Corridor
Identification and Development (“Corridor ID”) programs.

“Amtrak ridership is soaring, and these grants will allow us to further invest in Chicago Union
Station and improve our services across the Midwest that radiate from Chicago,” said Amtrak
CEO Stephen Gardner. “CHIP will help transform intercity passenger rail in the region by
expanding capacity, increasing reliability, and creating better access to our trains. We and our
partners thank Administrator Bose and Secretary Buttigieg for their support and look forward to
more investment in the future for this top-priority program for the nation.”

The Fed-State program provides funding for capital projects across the National Network that
reduce the state of good repair backlog, improve performance, or expand or establish new
intercity passenger rail service. Amtrak received two grants for Chicago Union Station totalling
up to $93.6 million.

These Fed-State grants will help improve the customer experience in Chicago for Amtrak and
Metra commuter rail customers – a key CHIP goal — by funding renovation and expansion of the
station platforms, improving passenger access and capacity, bringing the platforms into
compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act standards, and improving ventilation systems
and air quality. This work also includes repurposing platforms designed for mail handling that
have been unused since 2005, enabling their use for passengers and supporting long-term rail
service expansion across the Midwest.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded up to $500,000 in grant funding to all four
Corridor ID applications Amtrak submitted, including one to study an increase in Cardinal train
service to daily between Chicago and New York City. This route currently operates three-days weekly via Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and the states of Virginia, West Virginia,
Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.

Corridor ID funding could support development of a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for
preparing, completing, or documenting related service development plans.

“Of the 69 corridors selected for the inaugural round of the Corridor ID program, at least 16
could result in new and enhanced service to and from Chicago,” said Amtrak VP Jeannie Kwon,
who is leading CHIP. “More investments are critically needed to meet mobility needs both now
and to support future service here in the Midwest.”

“In terms of impact, no program is more important to expanding the future of services in the
Midwest and improving reliability for Amtrak’s Long Distance trains that originate in Chicago,”
Kwon added. “We are working with host railroads and other stakeholders to build partnership,
consensus and support for future grant applications.”

This comprehensive intercity passenger rail planning and development program led by the FRA
was created by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law) to help guide intercity passenger rail development throughout the United
States and create a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation.
As America’s Railroad, Amtrak is uniquely positioned to support the proposed expansion of
intercity passenger rail across the many corridors identified by the FRA. This includes more than
52 years of experience connecting communities across America, as well as strong teams
dedicated to Strategy, Planning & Accessibility, Capital Delivery and Service Delivery &
Operations, with employees located across the United States.

“At the heart of the Midwest, Illinois sits in the centre of our nation – serving as a major
transportation hub for passengers and businesses alike,” said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. “Thanks
to my administration’s landmark Rebuild Illinois capital plan, we’ve been hard at work to
modernise our state’s railways and train stations – and now, with a federal investment of nearly
$94 million, Illinois is well on its way to creating the most robust, accessible, and connected
railroad system in the country. I’m grateful to IDOT, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the
Biden Administration for coming together to help us realise our vision of a brighter future.”

“Chicago, often referred to as the crossroads of America, holds a unique position in the
converging point for railroads that cross our nation. This significant federal investment is a
strategic move to ensure our city remains not just a crossroads, but a thriving nexus that
efficiently connects people, goods, and ideas,” said Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. “It’s an
acknowledgement that Union Station must adapt and innovate to cater to the evolving needs of
our residents and the broader American landscape. I’m proud to have helped bring local
officials, the State, Amtrak, and other stakeholders together to ensure there was a unified push
for this project and look forward to keeping the heart of America’s rail network beating strong
into the future.”

“Chicago is a national epicentre of passenger, commuter and freight rail, but with that comes
congestion, bottlenecks and delays. Improvements to Chicago’s Union Station are critically
important for improving rail service and reliability for folks in Chicago and throughout Illinois, but
also for preventing delays and increasing safety for the more than 30 million riders across all the
rail services that pass through Union Station each year, said Illinois U.S. Senator Tammy
Duckworth. “This announcement is a great start in working toward these improvements, but I’ll
keep working to ensure we bring more funding into the Chicago Hub Improvement Program
because this critical project isn’t just beneficial for Chicago and Illinois, it’s also a win for the
Midwest and a win for our entire country.”

“Chicago’s Union Station is the centrepiece of passenger rail service in the Midwest, connecting
people and places throughout our region. The project funding announced today under the
Chicago Hub Improvement Program takes a major step in modernising Union Station for a safer
and more efficient future of passenger rail travel,” said Illinois U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley. “As
Ranking Member of the subcommittee that funds our nation’s railways, I’ll continue to work with
my colleagues at the federal, state, and local levels to make Chicago’s rail service the envy of
the nation.”

“I’m thrilled to welcome these historic investments in passenger rail to Illinois. By prioritising
investments in state of the art transportation infrastructure, the Biden-Harris administration is
putting American families first,” said Illinois U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly. “Our economy, our climate, and
our entire communities will thrive with increased access to passenger rail.”

“The FRA has a long history of investing in Chicago’s rail hub, including multiple grants to
improve Chicago Union Station,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “Corridor planning activities
announced today through FRA’s Corridor Identification and Development Program also stand to
benefit Chicago and the Midwest, such as efforts to develop a series of projects to address key bottlenecks and improve access and performance of the existing Midwest corridor network. FRA
looks forward to working with state and regional leaders as well as Amtrak to advance these
efforts and projects to ensure this vital rail hub is positioned for the future,” Kelly added.