By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-851605.mp3
LANSING, MI – Governor Granholm has signed an agreement with seven other governors to work together to build a high-speed rail line. The train would travel from Detroit and Pontiac to Chicago and other Midwestern cities.
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The trains would travel at speeds of up to 110 miles an hour, and could cut the trip between between Detroit and Chicago from about five hours to a little more than three hours. The governors are hoping a regional push will help them win federal stimulus dollars to get the project rolling.
Liz Boyd is Governor Granholm's press secretary:
"We want to make certain that Michigan and the Midwest corridor gets a piece of the $8-billion that the Obama administration wants to invest in high-speed rail," she said.
The train system's other stops would include Indianapolis, Cleveland, Minneapolis, and St. Louis. The Obama administration envisions one day a cross-country network of high-speed rail services. Boyd says that would also spark more interest in local mass transit.