The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative is a proposed multi-state "high speed rail" line. It would connect a number of midwestern cities through Chicago in a hub and spoke fashion.
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/highspeed.html
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/onepagers/midwest.html
The executive report (in Adobe pdf) is available here:
http://www.dot.state.wi.us/opa/images/mwrailsum.pdf
Federal Railroad Administration status report
http://www.fra.dot.gov/rdv/hsgt/states/ChiHub2.htm
National Association of Railroad Passengers
http://www.narprail.org/xmrri.htm
Greyhound Bus Lines Position
http://www.greyhound.com/company/intermodal/mrri.shtml
Some citizens are already beginning to take issue with some of the assumptions/decisions, e.g.
http://www.danerail.org/positionpaper.php
Amtrak Critic Speaks
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2000/07/24/story1.html
Stop This Train
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-nadler101101.shtml
National Taxpayers Union
http://www.ntu.org/taxpayer_issues/ntu_issue_briefs/ib_130_ntu.php3
As you read these documents, think critically about the proposal, and its claims, and the claims of opponents. Consider the following issues (along with others you may develop).
Think about modal competition vs. modal complementarity.