Nine Midwestern state DOTs have been working together since 1996 to develop a 3,000 mile high-speed rail system for the region. When this plan is fully implemented, passenger rail service will be dramatically increased and trip times significantly decreased. Chicago will serve as the hub of the system. About 90 percent of the Midwest's population will be within a one hour car ride to a Midwest Regional Rail System station and/or 30 minutes of a feeder bus station. 
In the fall of 2004, the MWRRI steering committee completed a comprehensive update of the plan, including:
- Updated capital and equipment cost estimates;
- Updated and refined MWRRI feeder bus system recommendations;
- Updated MWRRI plan ridership and revenue forecasts;
- Updated operating cost estimates; and
- An updated operating plan and proposed schedules.
The MIPRC developed a 4-page pamphlet on the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative — highlighting the benefits of passenger rail to the region, what specific benefits the MWRRI will bring, and the critical need for a dedicated source of federal funding to see this project move forward. Please download a copy of the pamphlet and use it in advocating for the MWRRI!
In 2007, the MWRRI updated its economic analysis of the benefits that the fully implemented plan would bring to the region. The new projections found a benefit-to-cost ratio of 1.8 ($1.80 in return for every dollar invested), one of the highest for any regional system in the U.S. In addition to generating $23 billion in overall benefits, the system would generate nearly 58,000 permanent new jobs and $5.3 billion of increased earnings over the construction period.
Economic Impacts of the Midwest Regional Rail System (2007)
State economic impact brochures (2007)
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
Ohio
Wisconsin
Other resources about the MWRRS:
Midwest Regional Rail System report (September 2004)
Midwest Regional Rail System: A Transportation Network for the 21st Century (2000)