Having consistently talked up the benefits of high-speed rail during the 2008 campaign, it should come as no surprise that President Obama believes trains will play a fundamental role in our nation’s economic and environmental future. After so many years of neglect, it’s gratifying to see that he isn’t pushing rail investments aside for the next generation to pursue -- he’s making it a cornerstone of his transportation agenda. And Illinois could be at the center of it all. Here’s what he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an interview yesterday:

“I think there’s enormous opportunities here,” he said. “Railroads were always the pride of America and stitched us together. Now, Japan, China, all of Europe, have high-speed rail systems that put ours to shame. And the potential economic benefits of a high-speed rail link between Chicago and Milwaukee, so that people are avoiding I-94, or the link between Chicago and St. Louis, Detroit, all those Midwestern cities, I think is enormous and is a very real option. Although gas prices are low right now, it becomes a very meaningful option for people who don’t want to take off their shoes (for screening), drive to an airport, pay for parking, suffer delays.”

Does that sound like a meaningless earmark to you?

(H/T Midwest HSR)