Chicago transit overhaul gets $156M in new federal funds

CHICAGO (AP) - The federal government is steering $156 million in new funding to help Chicago modernize congested and aging sections of its busiest commuter rail corridor.

Another $125 million on top of that is written into President Barack Obama's fiscal 2017 budget proposal. But that money would still have to make it through Congress before it could become new track and signals for the Chicago Transit Authority's Red and Purple Line modernization.

The massive project could double the capacity of the busy routes connecting the North Side with downtown. It will replace track infrastructure and stations that are nearly a century old in places. It will also construct a bypass to unjam a congested rail intersection.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says such projects improve access to opportunities like jobs and education.