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Illinois officials have reached an agreement with Springfield-area authorities that they hope will bolster the effort to bring high-speed trains to Illinois.
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary Gary Hannig announced Wednesday a pact in which Springfield and Sangamon County allow the state to seek federal funds for fast trains to run through the center of the capital city on its St. Louis to Chicago route.
Local officials had opposed the state's application for the funds, because of logistical problems which they said would result from the higher-speed trains. Illinois has sought $550 in federal economic stimulus money to improve rail beds along the St. Louis, Milwaukee and Detroit corridors. Until now, this opposition had posed a serious snag in the state's application.
In return for their agreement, IDOT will also provide funds for a study of putting the trains on rails that run through the city's east side, away from downtown.
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