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OVER AFGHANISTAN.

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>> BUT FIRST, IMAGINE GETTING

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FROM CHICAGO TO ST. LOUIS BY

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TRAIN IN JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS?

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THAT'S THE VISION OF HIGH SPEED

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RAIL ADVOCATES WHO WANT TO SEE

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AN ULTRA FAST TRAIN WITH A

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NETWORK OF FEEDER TRAINS AND

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BUSES CONNECTING CITIES AROUND

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THE STATE.

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AS NICK BLUMBERG REPORTS THAT

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VISION HAS GOTTEN A BOOST FROM

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ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS.

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>> WHEN RICK HARNISH TRAVELS TO

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OTHER COUNTRIES THESE ARE THE

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TRAINS HE RIDES.

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HIGH SPEED RAIL ZIPPING BY AT

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200-MILES-PER-HOUR OR MORE.

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>> IT'S COMFORTABLE THERE IS NO

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SEATBELT YOU CAN WALK AROUND.

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AND THE RIDE IS SMOOTH SO YOU

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DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT

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SPILLING YOUR DRINK.

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>> RICK HARNISH IS EXECUTIVE

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DIRECTOR OF THE HIGH SPEED RAIL

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ALLIANCE AND THESE ULTRA FAST

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TRAINS CAN BETTER CONNECT TO

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GEOGRAPHICALLY SPREAD OUTCRY

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LIKE THE U.S.

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>> HIGH SPEED TRAINS GIVE YOU

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THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL MORE

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OFTEN, MORE SAFELY AND MORE

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AFFORDABLY.

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>> HE IS HOPEFUL HIGH SPEED RAIL

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IS GETTING A LEG UP FROM

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LEADERS.

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GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER SIGNED

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INTO LAW THE ILLINOIS HIGH SPEED

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RAIL COMMISSION.

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ITS GOAL:  TO COME UP WITH A

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PLAN FOR A HIGH-SPEED TRAIN

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BETWEEN ST. LOUIS AND "CHICAGO

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AND CHICAGOAND A NETWORK OF TRA.

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>> WE COULD HAVE TRUE HIGH SPEED

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RAILS IN 10 YEARS BUT WE HAVE TO

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COMMIT TO IT.

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>> THE COMMISSION IS CHARGED

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WITH INTEGRATING SERVICE FROM

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METRA AND AMTRAK.

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>> OUR CHICAGO REGION RAIL IS SO

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IMPORTANT TO DOWNTOWN AND OUR

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SMALLER DOWN STATE COMMUNITIES

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LIKE CARBONDALE HAVING GOOD

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QUALITY RAIL SERVICE IS

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IMPORTANT FOR THEIR ECONOMIES TO

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ALLOW COLLEGE STUDENTS TO GET

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THERE AND IT ADDRESSES CLIMATE

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CHANGE.

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>> AMTRAK'S READY TO WORK WITH

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THE COMMISSION BUT IT'S NOT

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WAITING TO TRY AND IMPROVE RAIL

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SERVICE.

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HE IS HOPEFUL THAT CONGRESS WILL

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PASS A LONG AWAITED

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INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE DUE FOR A

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VOTE BY SEPTEMBER 27.

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>> AND IF THE BIPARTISAN

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INFRASTRUCTURE BILL PASSES,

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WHICH HAS HAS $66 BILLION FOR

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RAIL PROGRAMS WE ARE READY TO

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PARTNER WITH STATES AND

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COMMUNITIES.

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>> AFTER YEARS OF CONVERSATIONS

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ABOUT HIGH SPEED RAIL,

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SUPPORTERS ARE HOPEFUL THAT THE

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COMBINATION OF STATE-WIDE

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COORDINATION AND EXPECTED

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FEDERAL FUNDING MIGHT MEAN THIS

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EFFORT FINALLY HAS THE MOMENTUM.

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CHRIS BARKAN OF THE UNIVERSITY

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OF ILLINOIS LED A STATE

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SPONSORED HIGH SPEED RAIL STUDY

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RELEASED IN 2013 THAT LOOKED AT

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THE IMPACT THE SYSTEM COSTS AND

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ROUTES.

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00:02:35,666 --> 00:02:39,733
HE IS INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT THE

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00:02:36,933 --> 00:02:41,333
COMMISSION LEARNS ABOUT A

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POSSIBLE RIDERSHIP INCLUDING THE

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POTENTIAL THAT HIGH SPEED RAIL

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00:02:41,333 --> 00:02:46,866
COULD DRAW IN NEW RIDERS.

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00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,066
>> HOW MANY TRIPS WOULD BE MADE

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THAT WOULDN'T OTHERWISE HAVE

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BEEN MADE.

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THIS HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE A REAL

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00:02:50,433 --> 00:02:56,633
PHENOMENON IN SOME OF THE OTHER

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00:02:52,233 --> 00:02:58,400
NATIONS THAT DEVELOPED HIGH

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SPEED TRAINS AND SIGNIFICANT NEW

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00:02:56,633 --> 00:03:01,466
DEMAND FOR TRAVEL.

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00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:03,833
>> AND CHRIS BARKAN SAYS SOME OF

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00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:05,000
THE COUNTRIES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

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00:03:01,466 --> 00:03:08,000
THAT DEMAND TO HELP COVER COSTS.

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00:03:03,833 --> 00:03:10,100
>> WHEN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

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START USING ANY FORM OF PUBLIC

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00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:14,200
TRANSPORT AND ARE GETTING

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00:03:10,100 --> 00:03:14,533
CHANNELED THROUGH STATIONARIES,

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THAT BECOMES VERY VALUABLE REAL

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ESTATE.

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THE REVENUES FROM THAT REAL

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00:03:16,666 --> 00:03:23,600
ESTATE THAT THE RAILWAY COMPANY

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00:03:19,100 --> 00:03:25,000
OWNS AT OR ADJACENT TO THE

111
00:03:22,733 --> 00:03:26,433
STATIONS, GENERATES A

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00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:28,433
SIGNIFICANT PART OF THEIR

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OPERATING REVENUE.

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>> THE HIGH SPEED RAIL

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ALLIANCE'S RICK HARNISH HAS BEEN

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PUSHING FOR THE COMMISSION FOR

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YEARS AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE

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FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE EFFORT

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CLOSE TO A VOTE.

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>> WE WERE READY, THE LAST TIME

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THIS HAPPENED A DECADE AGO SO WE

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DID WELL.

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WE NEED TO GET READY QUICKLY

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AGAIN.

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>> FOR "CHICAGO TONIGHT" I'M