In a week focused on the fate of the auto industry and the naming of an auto czar, Iowa politicians and state representatives are turning their attention to the rails.

Iowans assisted Amtrak in setting a record number of riders this year – 64,260 passengers used Amtrak trains at six Iowa stations in a 12-month period ending in September, a 3 percent increase over last year’s count. The number of Iowa passengers taking to the trains that year was the highest passenger load Amtrak has seen since it was established in 1971. Across the nation, 28.7 million people rode the rails, signaling the sixth-consecutive year of record passenger levels. The increase in train travel is encouraging optimism around Iowa regarding the possibility of a potential expansion of rail service.

In April of this year, a study released by Amtrak found that rail service from Iowa City to the Quad Cities would have the support of both citizens and legislators. Such a route would require a contract splitting the annual costs among Chicago, the Quad Cities, and Iowa City, each contributing around $6 million. However, recent economic hardships may hinder progress as state representatives wrestle with available capital to subsidize new routes.

The Department of Transportation will offer a proposal to the Legislature in an attempt to secure funding for such an undertaking. Federal matching funds will also serve as an option to financially support the project. If the route uses the Iowa Interstate Railroad, the project could be quite a bargain. The Iowa Interstate Railroad bought the Iowa portion of the Rock Island line, which provided rail service to Iowa City until the early 1970s.

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