Report highlights benefits of improving railways

From the Niles Daily Star

A new research report by the Ann Arbor-based Public Interest Research Group in Michigan (PIRGIM) highlights the benefits of improving railways in Michigan and the United States.
President Obama awarded $40 million in high-speed rail funds last month to Michigan. The funding could bring high-speed rails to Niles’ Amtrak station.

It’s part of a plan that will send $8 billion to 31 states to help build and plan for high-speed rails under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Detroit to Chicago corridor, which runs through Niles, will receive $244 million.

According to the PIRGIM report, the full plan for the Michigan line would lower travel time between Detroit and Chicago to 3 hours and 46 minutes, making it faster than driving or flying.
Michigan also has applied for funds to make improvements that would increase train travel speeds up to 110 miles per hour.