Speaker: Beau Mills, chair, All Aboard NC

North Carolina is the third-fastest-growing state in the U.S. by population. As economic activity and travel demand increase, more train service is needed.

Enter All Aboard NC, a new organization “connecting the connectors”, assembling a strategic A-team of state and local leaders, chambers of commerce, metropolitan planning organizations, and partner advocacy groups. Its mission? To advance a regional rail network that serves all North Carolinians.

Seven proposed routes running through the Piedmont State were selected for the Corridor Identification and Development Program in 2023, with five more eligible for future rounds. In the same year, the S-Line project, which would provide a direct higher-speed passenger rail connection between Raleigh and Richmond, received a $1.09 billion federal investment—the largest single grant ever received by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Chair Beau Mills joins us to share more about All Aboard NC’s approach to train advocacy, the status of current projects, and what lies ahead in one of the most strategic battlegrounds for passenger rail expansion in the country.

Originally recorded June 5, 2026

Speaker: Rebecca Higgins, vice president of policy, Eno Center for Transportation

Federal funding for intercity passenger rail is at risk of returning to its former, unstable model.

Federal funding for Amtrak has mostly been marked by annual appropriations and underfunding—without a dedicated revenue source. The IIJA broke the mold of this short-term framework by providing $66 billion for passenger rail over five years.

In her recent paper, Looking Down the Tracks: A Case for More Predictable Intercity Passenger Rail Funding, Rebecca Higgins argues for the adoption of a long-term federal funding strategy. She joins us to outline how such model would improve efficiency, continue growing ridership, and provide investments befitting the undeniable importance of passenger trains.

[00:00] Intro & High Speed Rail Alliance
[00:19] Welcome from Rick Harnish
[01:09] The planning catch-22: no funding certainty, no plans
[02:07] Introducing Rebecca Higgins & the Eno Center report
[03:39] Highway Trust Fund certainty vs. rail's funding instability
[07:36] How highway formula funding shapes state priorities
[08:51] Advance appropriations vs. the Highway Trust Fund, explained
[12:05] A brief history: Amtrak near-bankruptcy to PRIIA reform
[14:37] Recovery Act vs. IIJA: lessons from two funding surges
[19:07] How Amtrak spent its IIJA money (equipment vs. infrastructure)
[22:17] Amtrak's staffing ramp-up and readiness today
[23:29] Recommendations: matching funding structure to project type
[27:26] Where should rail money come from?
[28:18] Chicago's regional rail funding challenges
[30:31] Long-distance rail and state-supported routes
[31:53] Summing up the report's core conclusions
[33:06] Has the country truly committed to passenger rail?
[36:56] Outlook for the 2026 reauthorization
[38:44] Should the Highway Trust Fund itself be rethought?
[41:29] What is "contract authority," and why it favors highways
[43:43] Listener Q&A: expanding corridor eligibility to city pairs
[46:41] Listener Q&A: reauthorization prognosis
[49:49] Closing thanks and sign-off
[50:35] Outro & credits

Originally recorded March 13, 2026

Speakers: Mark Walbrun, chief development officer, and Dave Lundy, chief executive officer, O'Hare Flyer

The O’Hare Flyer is a privately funded rail project that aims to bring travelers from downtown Chicago to O’Hare Airport in just 15 minutes.

The proposal, announced on Aug. 25, would take advantage of underused, freight-owned rights of way to deliver a practical path toward a long-sought commuting experience. The O’Hare Flyer would run battery-powered trains between the airport’s Terminal 2 and a station near the Old Post Office proximate to a variety of multimodal “last-mile” connections such as Chicago Union Station.

Listen to learn more about this exciting new development from its leadership team.

[00:00] Intro — High Speed Rail Talk
[00:19] Welcome from Rick Harnish, High Speed Rail Alliance
[01:27] Introducing the O'Hare Flyer team and project background
[04:17] World-class partners and vendors
[05:11] Vision: a 15-minute, battery-electric airport express
[06:59] Private funding, no public subsidy
[07:41] Operating plan and schedule
[10:09] Train specs, range, and battery charging
[10:39] Route overview: CN, CSX, Union Pacific rights-of-way
[12:02] Downtown terminal at Canal Street
[13:10] End-to-end control and grade separation
[14:34] Track configuration and third rail details
[15:30] Route schematic and maintenance center
[16:18] Grade crossings and safety upgrades
[18:17] Crossing the airport taxiways
[19:03] Arrival at the airport terminal platform
[20:19] Connecting to Terminal 1, 3, 5 and the ATS
[21:07] Passenger experience and luggage handling
[22:26] Downtown station and connections to Union Station/Blue Line
[23:13] Engineering, environmental, and title research
[24:26] Community relations approach
[25:51] Possible Forest Park stop
[26:20] Grade separation details in River Forest
[28:00] Q&A begins
[28:11] CTA ridership overlap and market differences
[30:26] Speed and top speed details
[31:27] Why not terminate at Union Station
[32:56] Funding and comparison to Brightline (Florida)
[35:07] Fare pricing expectations
[36:01] ROI and investor questions
[36:16] CDA/CDOT/city cooperation
[37:41] Conversations with CTA and Metra
[38:10] Ridership market research
[40:07] Forest Park stop travel times
[40:30] Investors and backers confidentiality
[41:22] Addressing residential noise concerns
[42:48] Comparison to Toronto's Union-Pearson Express
[44:03] Closing thoughts and next steps
[45:16] Outro and credits

Originally recorded Sept. 4, 2026

We are excited to announce the launch of our podcast High Speed Rail Talk. This new format builds upon our celebrated webinar series to bring you news and discussion about fast, frequent trains and the future of transportation in America.

Guests: Beth Kmetz-Armitage and Sam Krassenstein

For over three decades, Detroit’s famed Michigan Central Station stood derelict and abandoned after 75 years of passenger service.

But trains could return to the vicinity of the old station soon.

The Ford Motor Company purchased, renovated, and gave new life to Michigan Central Station, which opened in 2024 as a mixed-use building, part of the new Michigan Central Innovation District — which has partnered with the City of Detroit and the Michigan Department of Transportation to develop a new multimodal transportation facility within the 30-acre campus.

High Speed Rail Alliance Executive Director Rick Harnish joins Beth Kmetz-Armitage and Sam Krassenstein, two leaders in the project, for a conversation about the proposed station, the potential for expanded Amtrak service in the region, and what this development means for the future of Detroit.

Beth Kmetz-Armitage is the director of commercial development at Michigan Central.

Sam Krassentein serves as both the chief of infrastructure and the Department of Public Works deputy director for the City of Detroit.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro — High Speed Rail Talk
00:19 Welcome from Rick Harnish, High Speed Rail Alliance
01:07 Meet the Guests
02:17 Overview of the Michigan Central Station Restoration
06:00 Vision for a New Multimodal Transit Hub
08:16 History of Rail Service & Restoration Goals
10:38 What Is Michigan Central? (Building vs. Entity)
13:55 Regional Ridership & Market Draw
16:37 Expanding Service to Ann Arbor and Beyond
19:04 The Threat to Intercity Bus Stations
21:08 Local Transit Access & Future Connections
22:17 Economic Development Around the Station
23:26 Design Plans for the New Transit Center
26:08 The Corktown & Southwest Neighborhoods
27:52 Why Michigan Central Is Investing in Transit
29:38 The Windsor–Toronto Rail Connection
32:23 Why Not Restore the Original Train Platforms?
39:21 Funding the Project
40:46 Basement Discoveries at the Historic Station
43:01 How the Public Can Help
45:51 Wolverine Service & Oakland County Questions
46:10 Planned Amenities
46:33 Closing Thoughts & Credits

Originally recorded Jan. 9, 2026