Gov. of Illinois gives updates on Amtrak high-speed rail

Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) Illinois: "After over a decade of anticipation, today, the first high speed trains from Chicago to St. Louis took off for their 110 mile per hour journey. With this final piece of the transition to high speed, we've cut down on the travel times and boosted safety, reliability and convenience along the way. Illinois is the only state where all seven of the nation's largest railroads operate. That's a unique economic advantage recognized by employers across the globe, and it has helped our state attract and maintain quality jobs, and to grow our transportation, distribution and logistics industry to one of the nation's largest. By upgrading to higher speed service on Illinois's largest passenger rail line, we are solidifying our status as the transportation hub of North America."