$IDOT-PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE

104th Regular Session Introduced by Terri Bryant and 3 co-sponsors

Allocates $90 million to IDOT to advance nine intercity and high-speed rail corridors (including a 180 mph line) for planning, design, and development.

Pursuant to Senate Rule 3-9(b) / Referred to Assignments

Purpose / Intent

SB 1863 is an appropriation bill that provides state General Revenue Fund money to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to support multiple intercity and high‑speed passenger rail services. The bill aims to supply seed/state funding for planning, project development, capital investment, or other activities associated with specific rail corridors.

Key provisions

Total appropriation: $90,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to IDOT.

The appropriation is broken into nine separate $10,000,000 allocations, one for each corridor/project listed:

Chicago, Illinois → Milwaukee, Wisconsin passenger rail service
Chicago, Illinois → Madison, Wisconsin passenger rail service
Chicago, Illinois → Rockford, Illinois passenger rail service
Chicago, Illinois → Moline, Illinois passenger rail service
Chicago, Illinois → Galesburg, Illinois → Quincy, Illinois passenger rail service
Chicago, Illinois → Peoria, Illinois passenger rail service
Chicago, Illinois → East St. Louis, Illinois passenger rail service
Chicago, Illinois → Carbondale, Illinois passenger rail service
A 180 miles‑per‑hour high‑speed passenger rail line

Effective date: July 1, 2025.

The bill language appropriates funds “or so much of that amount as may be necessary” and directs them to IDOT; it does not include detailed programmatic conditions, project timelines, matching requirements, or recipient operators.

Who is affected

Primary recipient: Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

Potentially affected parties: regional/local governments along the corridors, rail operators (e.g., Amtrak, commuter agencies), project contractors, and passengers/communities that would benefit from improved or new services.

The bill establishes state funding that could be used to advance engineering, design, right‑of‑way, capital improvements, or match federal grants, but it does not itself obligate how funds must be spent beyond assignment to IDOT.

Legislative status and timeline

Introduced by Sen. Terri Bryant on February 6, 2025; cosponsors include Sens. Mike Simmons, Graciela Guzmán, and Javier L. Cervantes.

Key actions: Passed/Amended in the Senate in early May 2025; transmitted to the House (received from the Senate May 7, 2025) and read in the House May 8, 2025. Committee hearings and reports occurred in April–May 2025.

Current status (as listed): Pursuant to Senate Rule 3‑9(b) — Referred to Assignments (July 2, 2025).

Notes / Observations

SB 1863 is strictly an appropriation measure allocating state funds to IDOT for named corridors; project implementation details (scope, schedules, procurement, matching rules) are not specified in the bill text and would be determined by IDOT or via subsequent actions/agreements.

These state dollars could be used to leverage federal funds or advance corridor development, depending on IDOT plans and statutory/administrative requirements.

Bill