CHICAGO, July 28 (UPI) -- Governors from eight Midwest states have signed a pact to seek federal money for the Chicago Hub High-Speed Rail Corridor.
The agreement signed Monday supports a corridor that would service states across the Midwest and link with Ohio's planned 3C Corridor rail system, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Tuesday.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed the agreement in Chicago along with governors from Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri.
Each of those states has separately applied for federal stimulus money earmarked for train systems. They hope linking their projects with a main hub in Chicago will improve their chances for funding.
Competition for the $8 billion in total rail funding is fierce, with an estimated 278 requests expected from 40 states and the District of Columbia, the Federal Railroad Administration said. In all, the requests total $102 billion, the Plain Dealer said.
