Local, state and federal officials recently celebrated the launch of a $1.1-billion high-speed rail project in Illinois, the first in the nation, reports the Alton, Ill., Telegraph. The contingent touted fast, safe travel, more efficient transport of freight and reduced need for foreign oil and less pollution with the forthcoming high-speed rail system.

Jobs were strongly emphasized at the press conference outside the Alton Amtrak Station. Some 900 jobs will be created initially, with that number eventually reaching 6,000. Overall, directly and indirectly created jobs will total 24,000, officials said.

The gathering was to mark the start of the improved Union Pacific right-of-way, the first leg running nearly to Springfield. Eventually the trains will travel 110 mph from St. Louis to the Chicago hub at Dwight, south of Chicago. A connection to the city's Union Station would be built later.

Gov. Patrick Quinn said the state would study prospects of someday increasing speeds to 220 mph.

Of Illinois' $1.23 billion, $1.1 billion will be used for the new ties and rails - including addition of sidings on which trains temporarily pull off the tracks to let another one pass by - and safety features to accommodate high-speed passenger and freight trains along 284-mile corridor. Among additions will be better signal systems, overhaul of train stations and state-of-the-art control technology for better safety.

Joseph Shacter, director of the Illinois Department of Transportation, said construction is going quickly with a half-mile-long track-replacement train that Union Pacific is using to put down the high-speed rail components.

"It is 18 cars long and it is going at a tremendous pace putting down new rails," Shacter said. "It is putting down 5,000 ties per day."

Shacter said specifications just recently came out for the high-speed, bi-level train cars with single-level car specifications to be ready by the end of the year. Bidding for cars will be in 2011, he said.

Once in place, travel time between the cities will be cut by more than an hour from the current five-hour trip to less than four hours.

The officials said pre-planning allowed Illinois to be the first to receive the money and begin implementing the system, which eventually will be established throughout the Midwest. Chicago will be the hub. It is only one of three states to receive more than $1 billion.

The Illinois General Assembly also voted to provide its $400 million "match" for the grant.

The overall Midwest system is receiving $2.6 billion for high-speed rail as part of the stimulus funding.