Recently, additional federal funding was provided to advance the high-speed corridor being built between Chicago and St. Louis to be finished by 2014. This increase, which amounts to about $186 million, would allow for a 110 miles-per-hour rail passage along most of the distance between the two cities.

A new high-speed train connecting St. Louis and Chicago will provide students with an alternative way to travel. The railroad, which is currently under construction, should be complete sometime in 2014, according to officials involved in the project.

The push for high-speed rail in the Midwest picked up steam last week, when eight Midwestern states applied for stimulus money that would pave the way for speed upgrades to the rail network that have some policymakers and students excited.