CHICAGO (Associated Press) -- When it comes to trains, there's fast and then
there's really, really fast.

Advocates on Tuesday unveiled an $11.5 billion plan for a Chicago-St. Louis
high-speed line that could cut travel times to two hours from the current five.
If built, it would be among the fastest U.S. lines and would rival high-tech
systems already in place in Europe and Asia.

Under the proposal, electric-powered trains would zoom the nearly 300 miles
between Chicago and St. Louis at up to 220 mph - more than 100 mph faster than
diesel-powered trains under a comparatively modest plan already advocated by
eight Midwestern governors.

The newer plan is generating excitement among rail enthusiasts, some of whom
pooh-pooh the gubernatorial proposal - which envisions trains that reach top
speeds of 110 mph - as too conservative.

Tuesday's proposal - the focus of a study released by the non-profit Midwest
High Speed Rail Association - would require upgrading tracks and bridges as well
as electrifying the line. The estimated price tag doesn't include costs of new
trains or maintenance.

With backing from Illinois officials, the ambitious project could be done in
time for the 2016 Summer Olympics, which Chicago is bidding to host, said Rick
Harnish, the association's executive director. A deadline seven years away, he
said, is ambitious but doable.

"You sometimes need an audacious goal," he said. "We also need to catch up to
the rest of the world."

The proposal for a 220-mph service is intended to complement, not replace, the
governors' plan, Harnish said. The 110 mph trains would serve more communities
and make more stops en route, something Harnish and his Chicago-based group
supports.
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Pluses of the newly proposed electric-train line would include helping to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, Harnish said.

Backers want Illinois to apply for $10 million in federal stimulus funds for
further analysis they hope could lead to a detailed plan. Harnish conceded money
to foot the total bill of the project may have to come from new taxes or fees.

"But I think the public will accept a new funding stream if it includes paying
for new ways of travel," he said.

Skeptics question whether any benefits would justify the cost.

"This is a classic case of a nice idea - but one where the government will end
up misallocating dollars," said John Tillman, head of the conservative Illinois
Policy Institute. "This would be subsidized travel when there are already ways
to get to and from St. Louis and Chicago."

The $11.5 billion would be better spent, he said, on buying 1 million
fuel-efficient cars. He also questioned whether electric trains would be more
environmentally friendly given that they would likely rely on energy generated
by coal-burning plants.

The estimated $10 billion proposal backed by the Midwest governors would join 12
metropolitan areas, including Chicago and St. Louis, in a network with Chicago
as its hub. Upgrading existing tracks would enable trains to travel up to 110
mph, according to the plan.

Currently, the top speed of trains running between Chicago and St. Louis,
Bloomington and Springfield is just under 80 mph.

The Midwest governors' plan and a California proposal are front runners in the
race for $8 billion in federal stimulus cash set aside for high-speed rail.
California wants to build 800 miles of high-speed track connecting the San
Francisco-San Jose area with Los Angeles and Anaheim.

The only rail service that currently qualifies as high-speed - that is, where
trains travel at more than 90 mph - is Amtrak's Acela Express connecting Boston
to Washington, D.C.