Expansion of Passenger Rail Service Gains Attention Among Grand Island Residents
Nebraska Senators Advocate for Passenger Rail Growth
Senators Margo Juarez and Dan Quick are leading the charge for passenger rail expansion in Nebraska, citing personal experiences and economic benefits.
Senator Juarez, representing Omaha, has firsthand knowledge of the benefits of passenger rail service. During her time stationed in Utah, she used light rail and trains, and she recently hosted a town hall meeting in Grand Island, Nebraska, as part of the LR203 interim study. She aims to get Nebraska back as a member of the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Senator Quick, from Grand Island, has also personally used passenger rail, traveling to Chicago, Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Washington, and Boston via train. He expressed his desire to see Grand Island have a bus route instead of the current point-to-point system, and he would like to see Nebraska have a rail planning study, which hasn't been conducted for 20 years, according to Bob Kuzelka of ProRail Nebraska.
The proposed LB256, sponsored by Sen. Quick in the last session, aimed to rejoin the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact, which Nebraska left in 2018. Sen. Juarez hopes to introduce a bill for a rail planning study in the 2026 session.
The expansion of passenger rail in Nebraska could attract investment and young people, according to Sen. Juarez. The Federal Railroad Administration's Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study includes two proposed routes through Nebraska, one of which passes through Grand Island. The study also includes a daytime California Zephyr route through Nebraska, according to Dan Bilka, president of All Aboard Northwest.
Passenger rail between Omaha and Lincoln is a significant part of Sen. Juarez's plans, with a goal of having a train for sports events. Nebraska is currently served by Amtrak's California Zephyr, which stops in several cities in the state, including Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings, Holdrege, and McCook.
The final town hall meeting for the LR203 interim study will take place in Omaha on Sept. 22. Sen. Juarez encourages people to take the LR203 survey at tinyurl.com/PaRail203 to support passenger rail growth in Nebraska.
The organizer of the five townhall meetings on passenger train planning in Nebraska is not provided in the given source. However, the meetings have been instrumental in fostering discussions about the potential benefits of improved passenger rail service in the state.
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