A bi-partisan group of eight within the Illinois Congressional delegation that includes Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk has sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking for a some of the $2.4 billion that Florida rejected to help build a high-speed rail line between St. Louis and Chicago.

In the letter, the congressmen wrote that Illinois "offers the greatest opportunity for your department to enhance mobility, reduce reliance on federal oil, lessen congestion and provide steady employment."