Project

Economic Impacts of High Speed Rail: Transforming the Midwest

For the Midwest High Speed Rail Association, EDR Group (now EBP) examined the economic analysis of a high speed rail (HSR) system that would serve all major metropolitan areas within 350 to 450 miles of Chicago, for a Midwest High Speed Rail Association study. The study was entitled, "The Economic Impacts of High Speed Rail: Transforming the Midwest." 

This study was conducted by EDR Group in association with AECOM to provide a metropolitan-level assessment of the land use, economic and infrastructure requirements for developing a regional high speed intercity passenger rail (HSIPR) hub in the City of Chicago. The report was produced for use by the Midwest High Speed Rail Association to promote the understanding of the kinds of infrastructure investments, HSR-oriented development potential, and supportive transportation services required to achieve multimodal integrated HSR transportation systems in core metropolitan centers in the US.

The region involved in this study would be served by a four-spoke network, with Chicago at the center of corridors connecting to Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Trains would operate at 220-mph on a dedicated track with no grade crossings.  The study was conducted for the purpose of promoting understanding of the kinds of infrastructure investments, HSR-oriented development potential, and supportive transportation services required to achieve multimodal integrated HSR transportation systems in core metropolitan centers in the US.  It describes the steps needed to make this vision a reality and the potential economic benefits for each of the other cities on the system and the region as a whole - while illustrating how high speed rail could help to transform economies of the Midwest.