KANSAS CITY, MO — Speaking at the Northern Flyer Alliance’s Passenger Rail Symposium in April, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo stressed the need for long-term planning to create market-driven passenger rail corridors.

At the symposium, at Kansas City’s Union Station, was held to create a venue for public officials, business owners, community leaders and other stakeholders from Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas to discuss the expansion of passenger rail as a fiscally sound approach to the region’s transportation issues.

With population expected to grow by 100 million in the next 40 years, America’s economic competiveness in the 21st century will require its highways, airports, railways and public transit systems to work together seamlessly in a way that moves people and goods faster and more efficiently, Szabo said.

“Progress doesn’t happen overnight – it becomes a reality after each state lays a solid foundation through good planning and analysis,” he said. “I am pleased to see the planning work currently taking place in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, proving that strong, long-term planning leads to the creation of a market-driven rail plan that benefits communities throughout the corridor.”

With more than $10 billion in funding, the FRA and 32 state partners are proceeding with 154 High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program projects. A federal investment of $2.5 billion thus far has allowed the Midwest region to improve reliability, trip times and station development in the last three years.