USDOT awards $157.1 million in federal funding for final segment of Springfield Rail Improvement Project
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has fully obligated $157.1 million in federal funding for the final segment of the Springfield Rail Improvements Project (SRIP), allowing construction to move forward.
The multi-phased project is a large-scale effort supported by local, state and federal funding designed to alleviate rail congestion in downtown Springfield, Ill., by consolidating train traffic from Third Street to 10th Street and constructing a series of overpasses and underpasses along the corridor.
“I’m thrilled to see the final phase of the Springfield Rail Improvements Project come to fruition,” said U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL). “Connecting communities is at the heart of transportation and today’s final federal commitment for a new Amtrak Station, rail improvements and track realignment in Springfield will better connect passengers between St. Louis and Chicago. The Springfield Rail Improvements Project is dramatically changing downtown Springfield by reducing rail congestion, creating jobs and improving safety for passengers, drivers and pedestrians. I will continue advocating for strong investments in Illinois’ transportation infrastructure.”
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) added, “Investing in our rail infrastructure is critical for growing our economy and making it safer, faster and more efficient for people and goods to get where they need to go. After pushing for this project for years alongside Sen. Durbin, Congresswoman [Nikki] Budzinski and our local leaders, I’m grateful to see this final phase of the Springfield Rail Improvements Project moving toward completion. This federal investment will go a long way in helping us build a new multimodal transportation center, improve efficiency for passengers traveling between St. Louis and Chicago and support good-paying jobs while making Springfield safer for pedestrians and drivers. I’ll keep working with Sen. Durbin and Congresswoman Budzinski to ensure that our communities are receiving the much-needed federal resources they deserve.”
The next phase of the SRIP includes rail improvements, track realignment and the construction of a new Amtrak Station in Springfield. This project will complete the final segment of track realignment to consolidate the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern corridors into one multitrack corridor through the city, which will advance the efforts to provide a higher speed intercity passenger rail connection between St. Louis and Chicago. In addition to various track improvements and grade crossing separations, the project will also construct a multimodal transportation center to improve public transportation connectivity among intercity passenger rail, local bus service and intercity bus service.
“Securing funding for the Springfield Rail Improvement Project has been a top priority of mine, and with the funding now finalized, we’re one step closer to transforming our downtown, reducing rail noise and making our streets safer,” said U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13). “This project is also creating good-paying union jobs, benefiting families across our community. I’m incredibly proud to have worked alongside Sens. Durbin and Duckworth to bring this vital funding home. Together, we’re not only connecting communities but also building a stronger, more efficient, and reliable transportation system for the future.”
In 2023, Durbin urged then-USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg to strongly consider the SRIP for federal rail grants. Since the project’s inception, Durbin has helped to secure roughly $90 million in previous federal funding to advance the SRIP, including a 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity discretionary grant for the Madison and Jefferson underpasses project, which was completed last August.
“This CRISI grant will complete the funding for the new 10th Street rail corridor as part of the Springfield Rail Improvement Project. This will allow the Union Pacific Railway and Amtrak to operate on a new rail corridor and historically transform rail traffic in the city of Springfield for generations,” said Hanson Inc. Board Chair and CEO Sergio Pecori.
