The Vision...  

Illinois is leading the way and investing in connectivity to inspire innovation and economic development for decades to come.  
 
Brain Train is a vision for the first-of-its-kind, high-capacity travel network that will drive innovation and collaboration while solving real problems for real people.

Right now, Chicagoland has a strong passenger rail transportation network. But that network was largely designed for the pre-COVID era.  Commuter rail was solely focused on bringing commuters from distant suburbs into the office each weekday. CTA rail does the same within the city limits, moving people from neighborhoods to downtown. Amtrak’s rail service network links Chicago with cities and towns all over the Midwest. But there are many gaps. 
 
For instance, connecting downtown to underserved neighborhoods that suffer long commute times, bus routes that aren’t well connected to rail stations, long commute times to O’Hare, and a lack of transportation infrastructure to serve rapidly emerging innovation districts like Fulton Market – one of the fastest growing real estate submarkets in the country.  
 
The Chicago Hub Improvement Program aims to secure an $872.8 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Federal/State Partnership Program, made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The billion-dollar project will look to improve Union Station and rail connectivity between Chicago and other Midwestern destinations while also establishing the foundation for Brain Train. 
 
Imagine what our region could do to leverage this rail federal funding... 

• Significantly shorten commute from Chicago’s Union Station to O’Hare airport
• Add a direct commute from Chicago’s Union Station to Fulton Market innovation district
• Add a direct commute from Chicago’s Union Station to the country’s largest convention center, McCormick Place
• Add a direct commute from O’Hare airport to the soon-to-be-open Obama Presidential Center
• Dramatically increase rail accessibility for underserved Midwesterners to high wage employment centers (ex. Connecting Chicago’s South Side to the XChange) 
• Significantly improve service reliability to other key regional hubs and universities in Urbana-Champaign, Carbondale, and Michigan - linking students and researchers across the Midwest.
• Provide reliable, affordable and sustainable transportation to the region’s largest job center reducing travel times and emissions
• Lay the foundation for further improvements in the Chicago metropolitan area and beyond. 

This is the vision of Brain Train. 
 
Why We Need Your Signature...The Brain Train vision isn’t possible without federal dollars. To help make the vision a reality, please sign this petition to help us reach a goal of 10,000 signatures and get the attention of D.C. 
 
ALL ABOARD FOR THE BRAIN TRAIN!  
Visit the Brain Train Site  ​

Chicago Inno Article: 'Brain Train': Why a billion-dollar rail improvement project could be a 'game-changer' for Chicago startups ​ 

Gov. Pritzker Joins State, Local Leaders to Call for Federal Investments in Chicago Hub Improvement Program