Public Accountability Report Public Accountability Report

2025 Rail
Mission Statement To plan and implement rail freight and rail passenger programs for Illinois.
Program Goals and Objectives
  1. To improve the speed, reliability and convenience of Illinois rail passenger service.
    1. To place under contract track planning and construction improvements for the high-speed rail passenger service line between Chicago and St. Louis by the end of the programmed fiscal year.
    2. To place under contract track planning and construction improvements for the extension of conventional rail passenger service between Chicago and Quad Cities, and between Chicago and Rockford, by the end of the programmed fiscal year.
    3. To ensure on-time rail passenger service by Amtrak for at least 60% of all departures.
  2. To reduce rail freight congestion, especially in the Chicago area, through funding for projects to add track and yard capacity, to reduce congestion, to better coordinate train control, and to improve communications.
    1. To have all programmed rail freight projects under contract by the end of the programmed fiscal year.
    2. To implement and accomplish all Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE) rail capital improvements programmed for letting during the fiscal year.
Source of Funds General Revenue Fund, State Rail Freight Loan Repayment Fund, Federal High Speed Rail Trust Fund, Transportation Bond, Series B Fund, Rail Freight Loan Repayment Fund Statutory Authority 20 ILCS 2705/49.25d, 49.25g-1
Fiscal Year 2026 Target/Projected Fiscal Year 2025 Actual Fiscal Year 2025 Target/Projected Fiscal Year 2024 Actual Fiscal Year 2023 Actual
Input Indicators
Total expenditures - all sources (in thousands) $ 0.0 $ 0.0 $ 0.0 $ 0.0 $ 0.0
Total expenditures - state appropriated funds (in thousands) $ 222,244.8 $ 216,824.2 $ 241,036.7 $ 235,157.8 $ 121,874.4
Average monthly full-time equivalents 26.0 24.0 5.0 6.0 6.0
Output Indicators
High-speed rail track improvements (Chicago-St. Louis route planning and construction; work beginning in fiscal year 2011) (in thousands) (a) $ 58,500.0 $ 27,811.0 $ 50,000.0 $ 56,726.0 $ 19,897.0
Conventional passenger rail service expansions (Extends Amtrak service to Quad Cities/Iowa City and Rockford/Dubuque; work beginning in fiscal year 2011) (in thousands) $ 8,000.0 $ 2,452.0 $ 8,000.0 $ 1,955.0 $ 1,815.0
CREATE rail-freight congestion reduction projects accomplished (as a percentage of CREATE projects planned for the fiscal year) 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
State operations investments in Amtrak downstate services (in thousands) $ 76,000.0 $ 64,269.0 $ 67,000.0 $ 54,652.0 $ 52,370.0
Percentage of annual program under contract 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Outcome Indicators
On-time performance of passenger rail service (Amtrak) 80.00% 79.25% 75.00% 74.60% 78.50%
Amtrak ridership on state-supported routes 1,952,700 1,903,020 1,902,200 1,722,441 1,481,987
Efficiency/Cost-Effectiveness Indicators
State capital investment per Amtrak rider (in dollars) $ 38.92 $ 33.77 $ 35.22 $ 31.73 $ 35.34
Footnotes
The variance is due to a track project between Elwood and Braidwood not moving into the construction phase as anticipated and invoicing for rail cars occurring in early fiscal year 2026.

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