FAST TRACK: Test runs started zooming along a section of the Amtrak line between Chicago and St. Louis at 111 mph Friday. The 30-mph increase from the route's current top speed is a morale booster for advocates of high-speed rail.
DERAILMENT AHEAD? Some rail experts question whether the route will become profitable or pose serious competition to air and automobile travel.
MIDWEST IS BEST: Advocates say Midwest routes from Chicago hold the most immediate promise for high-speed rail expansion outside Amtrak's existing, much faster Acela trains between Boston and Washington.