Sent: Thursday,
January 28, 2010 10:34 AM
GOVERNOR CULVER VOICES OPTIMISM FOR PASSENGER
RAIL DEVELOPMENT IN IOWA
DES MOINES – Governor Chet Culver
expressed his support for the decision by the Obama Administration to improve
passenger rail service in Iowa by funding improvements for existing Amtrak
service through southern Iowa and for supporting a feasibility study to initiate
new passenger rail service from Chicago to Omaha.
The
Governor also expressed his disappointment that applications for proposed new
routes from Iowa City to Chicago and Dubuque to Chicago did not receive funding
while predicting that these routes, when developed, will prove to both popular
with the traveling public and among the most cost-effective new passenger rail
services in the nation.
“I want to thank the Obama Administration
for selecting Iowa to receive two high-speed passenger rail grants worth
approximately $18 million. This will help to improve passenger rail
service on existing Amtrak lines in southern Iowa while allowing us to study
passenger rail expansion through central Iowa,” the Governor said.
“These represent additional steps in our efforts to expand passenger rail in
Iowa, and to revitalize passenger rail services throughout the Upper
Midwest.”
“At the same time,” the Governor stated, “I am
disappointed that the US DOT did not fund the Chicago to Iowa City and the
Chicago to Dubuque proposals. These are sound projects that will help the people
of this state, and with the work we have already done, we will be competitive
for future rounds of funding. I am confident that an expanded passenger
rail system is in Iowa’s future, and the Culver/Judge Administration will
continue to work directly with members of our congressional delegation, with
Illinois officials and with the Obama Administration to get this
done.”
###