Article updated: 11/16/2012 10:43 AM

Illinois high-speed rail gets environmental approval

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In this March 22, 2011 file photo, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin are joined by state and local officials as they announce the next phase of high-speed rail construction during a news conference at an Amtrak maintenance building in Chicago.

Associated Press

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Illinois and the federal government have approved an environmental impact statement for the high-speed rail line under construction between Chicago and St. Louis. The review is an important step because it identifies a route through Springfield that would end a dispute that had threatened to hold up the project.