ProRail Nebraska

Dedicated to advocating for improved passenger rail and all forms of surface public transportation serving Nebraska.

LB1098 Hearing Testimony A Smashing Success!
By Mat Roque, ProRail President - Feb. 5, 2026

I would say the hearing was a smashing success. There were 5 people that spoke in favor of the bill including myself and Jim Hanna. Two of the people who spoke attended the Townhall meetings this past fall. The last one who spoke was Nebraska Sierra Club Lobbyist, former Senator Al Davis, who gave a great testimony about how this is simply a planning document and is the bare minimum the state should be doing. It was nice because it seemed like all five speakers provided a different rationale for supporting the bill.

The NDOT submitted testimony in the neutral position, with their biggest argument being that they have no authority over rail or railroads in State statute. To counter that, 43 people submitted testimony in support of the bill. That is a crazy number considering the most we've ever had submit testimony to support one of our bills was like five.

Our meeting for this Saturday has been cancelled. We are postponing it until February 21st at 2:00 p.m. at Scooters. Until then, we will continue our efforts to get people to contact members of the Transportation Committee. If you haven't already, each of you also contact these committee members. It doesn't have to be a long phone call or email.

Update 3/14/2026 - LB1098 was not made a priority bill and was not voted out of the Transportation & Telecommunications Committee to the Floor. The bill is dead for this session. ProRail is working with Sen. Juarez to reintroduce the bill in the 2027 Session incorporating enhancements with some ideas from testimony given at the Feb. 2 hearing.

The hearing for LB1098 - Adopt the State Rail Plan Act before the Transportation & Telecommunications Committee has been scheduled for next Monday, February 2, at 1:30 PM. ProRail President, Matt Roque, will testify in support of LB1098. Hopefully, many of you will appear in person or submit comments in support of the bill.

Why support LB1098? Click here to view a short video on our Facebook page explaining why railroads are important to Nebraska, and why our Nebraska DOT needs to update Nebraska's State Rail Plan which was last updated in 2003.

Click here to view tips for testifying at a Committee Hearing. However, you can provide effective input for the hearing by submitting your comment online. First, go to the web page for LB1098. Then scroll down to the box that reads "Submit Comments Online for LB1098". Click on that box, then fill out your contact information. Please be sure to check "Yes" for Include Comment in Public Hearing Record. Note that the deadline for submitting a comment is 8:00 AM Monday, Feb. 2. After typing your comment supporting LB1098 in the space provided, which is limited to a maximum of 500 words, then click the box next to "I'm not a robot", and then click on Submit Comment. The website will then send a message to the email address you provided with a link. You must open that email and click on that link to finalize the submission.

The ProRail Board has provided the following information to help you prepare your comments supporting LB1098:

We at ProRail Nebraska urge you to vote yes to support LB 1098. Public transportation is critical to many Nebraskans, and passenger rail is a key part of a robust public transit system. In Nebraska, there has been little to no ongoing rail planning to enhance passenger services, to the detriment of all stakeholders. The State misses out on federal grant dollars awarded by the FRA, does not participate in regional transit projects and the economic development they bring to our neighbors, and lags our peers in the region. Nebraska boasts the oldest state rail plan in the country. Iowa's plan was last updated in 2022, South Dakota's in 2022, and Missouri's in 2017. All three states have managed to steer funding toward rail projects while Nebraska sits on the sidelines. We aren't losing these dollars to high-speed rail in California; we're losing them to the Hoosiers.

Nebraskans want better transit systems, a key theme of the 2024 Greater Omaha Chamber of Survey of Young Professionals, where 71% of respondents were dissatisfied with transit options in the region. We can't afford to keep losing these bright young people to our neighbors who take more decisive action on transit projects. By voting in support of LB 1098 you'll be helping get Nebraska back on track. Nebraska needs a plan for passenger rail projects to move forward, so take the first step and vote yes on LB 1098.

Key provisions of LB 1098: 1) The State will create and maintain a State Rail Plan, 2) It must examine existing rail infrastructure and recommend improvements, 3) Public Feedback will Inform Planning, 4) Planning Must Meet Federal Requirements (Necessary for FRA Grants)

By sitting on the sidelines, Nebraska is missing out on major opportunities to improve passenger rail service. These opportunities aren't just for major coastal areas, rail expansion in South Dakota and Missouri in recent years are driving major investment close to the heartland. Your support could help change that.

On Friday, January 16, Sen. Juarez introduced LB1098, The Adopt the State Rail Plan Act. LB1098 would require the Nebraska DOT to prepare a state rail plan as required by the Federal Railroad Administration. Nebraska's statewide rail plan was last updated in 2003, making it the most out-of-date plan in the country, and rail advocates say that has held Nebraska's railroads back.

As can be seen on NE DOT's Rail webpage (https://dot.nebraska.gov/business-center/lpa/rail/), almost all of its focus is on rail-highway grade crossings. LB1098 would require the NE DOT to prepare an updated State Rail Plan and include existing and potential passenger services as well as freight.

The bill will likely be assigned to the Transportation & Telecommunications Committee, but as of Jan. 19, no hearing date had been scheduled.

ProRail Nebraska believes effective rail transportation is essential to avert the worst effects of human-caused climate change. Increasing rail and transit and moving away from our current heavy emphasis on road and air travel, will bring many environmental, economic, and social benefits.

Sen. Juarez is very supportive of public transportation. She introduced LR203 in the 2025 Session. A total of 210 people attended the five public meetings to get input on LR203 during August and September: Columbus (7), Lincoln (56), North Platte (13), Grand Island (26), and Omaha (108) which doesn't include those who participated by Zoom. Sen. Juarez staff is preparing a summary of all the comments received at the meetings and in emails and letters which were overwhelmingly in favor of improved public intercity rail and bus transportation in Nebraska. Thank you to the ProRail volunteers who assisted the senator facilitate these meetings.

Thank you for participating in the public meetings concerning Nebraska Legislative Resolution 203 - Interim study to evaluate the existing passenger rail infrastructure in NE

Reporter Cindy Gonzalez authored an excellent article about LR203 in the August 11 Nebraska Examiner

February 1, 2025 - Lists NE Legislature Bills PRN is supporting, opposing, or monitoring

Sen. Juarez and the ProRail Board are planning to hold hearings on LR203 this Summer in Omaha, Lincoln, Columbus, Grand Island and North Platte. Here is the schedule:

o Columbus - 6:00-7:30 Tuesday, August 19^th - Columbus Public Library, 2500 14th St., Suite 2, Columbus, NE 68601

o Lincoln - 6:00-7:30 Friday, September 5^th - First Presbyterian Church, 840 S 17th St, Lincoln, NE 68508

o North Platte - 6:00-8:00 Tuesday, September 9^th - North Platte Public Library, 120 W 4th St, North Platte, NE 69101

o Grand Island - 6:00-7:30 Tuesday, September 16^th - GI Main Library, 1124 W 2nd St, Grand Island, NE 68801

o Omaha - 5:30-7:30 Monday, September 22^nd - Willa Cather Branch of Omaha Public Library, 1905 S 44th St, Omaha, NE

Participants can attend the meetings in person or virtually on Zoom. Please contact Sen. Juarez's Office for the Zoom link. Email mjuarez@leg.ne.gov.

o PRN Officer provides a brief history of rail planning efforts in the state and the need for legislation.

o PRN Officer or potential video explaining the regional (NE/SD) Amtrak proposals.

ProRail President Matthew Roque and Treasurer Bridger Corkill met with NE Senator Margo Juarez, and together they drafted LR203. It was introduced May 14, and it proposes an interim study to evaluate the existing passenger rail infrastructure in Nebraska and gather feedback from the public to inform future legislation. Senators J. Cavanaugh, M. Cavanaugh, DeBoer, Dungan, Prokop, Rountree and Spivey signed on as co-sponsors of the Resolution. Click here to read the full resolution.

LR203 was referred to the Transportation & Telecommunications Committee. If that committee does not act and schedule hearings, Sen. Juarez will arrange for and conduct hearings.

By Dan Bilka - State Director for South Dakota at the Rail Passenger Association

Our friends at the High Speed Rail Alliance and other advocates helped create the following statement of support to underscore the need (and our interest in) refleeting the Amtrak Long-Distance routes starting with the venerable Superliners. Click here to view the statement.

We should work to get letters/resolutions from every single community served by the long-distance network. Mayors and City Councils, County Commissioners, Chanbers of Commerce, Development Organizations and more, we need them all. The importance of refleeting also extends beyond the communities directly served to hundreds more involved in the manufacturing process.

A concept that is often talked about is a rail transit connection between Omaha and Lincoln. I hear this especially with the Omaha Streetcar project as some folks will say that we really need to look at connecting Omaha and Lincoln with a fast and more frequent transit option.

Recall from my earlier article on transit technologies that the appropriate modes for transit between Omaha and Lincoln include commuter rail and intercity/regional bus, a service that provides more frequency than intercity passenger rail (think the current Amtrak California Zephyr, which is one trip a day in each direction). Regional or interregional bus service (connecting cities within a large region and/or multiple regions) provides more frequent service than intercity bus with stops that have good connections to existing transit, such as in Omaha and Lincoln.

Commuter rail usually shares an existing freight railroad corridor, operates at higher speeds than light rail (traditionally up to 79 MPH), and serves longer distances. The distance between downtown Omaha and downtown Lincoln is about 60 miles and is perfect for commuter rail or regional bus service. Also recall from my previous article on multimodal transportation centers that connecting planned hubs between the two cities would enable connections to transit in either city in addition to providing passenger amenities at each end, which makes the trip without a car easier and a better overall experience.

That sounds well and good, but how do we get this service started? What does it take and what has already been done? Click here to read the rest of the article.

By Dan Bilka - State Director for South Dakota at the Rail Passenger Association

The Long-Distance study process has identified two potential new routes through Nebraska. 1) A Twin Cities to Denver Routing that would cut through the panhandle, and a Twin Cities - Omaha- Kansas City and beyond routing. This is with continuation of the existing California Zephyr route.

This isn't the last step, this is only the first step, to expand passenger rail access in Nebraska. We'll also continue making the case for more routes, ultimately, to be included for passenger rail (North Platte, Grand Island, Ogallala, etc.). Recall that the original 1956 US Interstate Highway Act didn't include key interstate connections we have today. Congress passed an amendment in 1958 to add in new segments such as I-29 between Sioux Falls, SD and Fargo, ND. More segments can ultimately be added to strengthen our national network.

Often derided as "fly-over county", the Great Plains has outsized travel needs compared to our population size. We often have to travel longer distances, more frequently, compared to our coastal counterparts. With your help, support, and vocal interest to the FRA, state leaders, and the Congressional delegation, we can make this network happen.

What's next? The final round of Workshops will be held later this year after which the final report will be delivered to Congress. Once delivered, we need Congress to act on these recommendations and bring these critically needed routes into reality. Once they act on these recommendations, these proposed routes will have to go through service development planning (and likely construction activities) prior to implementation.

We need to ensure that the Congressional Delegation (Senator Fischer, Senator Ricketts, and US House Reps. Flood, Bacon, and Smith) are on-board with passenger rail. They can help ensure that the Cornhuskers are a national priority moving forward.

"As for the naysayers you may have read on social media, well, they're entitled to their opinions. But nobody should draw conclusions about whether rail expansion is worthwhile just from looking at leaked sections of a vision map. And assuming that somehow a year and a half of concentrated full-time study would NOT include thinking about track conditions, capital investment, living patterns, equipment needs, or station placement and design? Well, that's just plain silly. The FRA team didn't just order out for pizza last month and sit in someone's basement to draw up a map with Magic Markers. Everyone involved knows that the next step is a broad, high-level assessment of capital needs, ridership, social and economic benefits, and stages of readiness. And that's coming in Round Four this Spring, setting the stage for additional route-specific detailed planning later on."

It is time again to ask for you to renew your support of ProRail Nebraska. Although modest, your dues allow our organization to continually move forward in support of public transportation, and more specifically, passenger rail issues. Your membership not only sustains us financially but goes to show the breadth of support for our issues.

When asked about what sets our organization apart from others, it is our work on issues other than just passenger rail. We continue to and always will advocate for increased passenger rail access and use within the State of Nebraska. Other modes of transportation do exist, and we continue to work on public access to them as well. Your contributions are furthering the acceptance of and support for passenger rail and public transportation in Nebraska.

Thank you for your continued support of ProRail Nebraska. As we continue to educate State Senators about the benefits of passenger rail, it is great knowing that you stand with us.

Please click on the Join Us link on the left for information how to renew your membership, join, or get a ProRail membership brochure. Use the tear-off form to enclose with your payment.

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