both in Blue Island, Illinois. The Iowa Interstate is unique in that it is the only Class II railroad in the US that has connections to every Class I railroad, affording its customers a reach not offered by other regional railroads. The railroad also maintains two intermodal operations at either end of its line in Chicago and Council Bluffs. The operation in Council Bluffs is also used by the Union Pacific, with IAIS crews interchanging with UP several times a day. IAIS subsidiary Rail Traffic Control formerly provided consulting services for dispatching and operating small- to medium-sized railroads worldwide. In 2004, IAIS was awarded the E. H. Harriman Award for its safe operational record. Amtrak Beginning in the mid-1990s, the IAIS mainline has been identified as a potential route for high speed passenger train service between Wyanet, Illinois (where the IAIS could be connected to the BNSF Railway), the Quad Cities and Iowa City, as part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative (MRRI). The ultimate goal of the MRRI is to establish passenger train routes in a hub-and-spoke formation with Chicago as the hub that allow for speeds up to and above 110 mph (177 km/h). In July 2019, a new transportation bill was passed by the Illinois state legislature, supported by Governor J.B. Pritzker, $225M was appropriated to begin Amtrak service from Chicago to Moline, IL. A rail connector (junction) will be built between BNSF and IAIS to permit the Quad Cities service to use BNSF mainline from Wyanet to Chicago Union Station. This Amtrak route will use the IAIS main line between Wyanet and Moline, IL. Upgrades to IAIS rail crossings, track, and signaling for Amtrak's 79-mph requirements will be performed. Motive power IAIS uses 42 locomotives and two slugs to power its trains: 4 EMD SD38-2 (Numbered 150-153) 20 GE ES44AC (Numbered 500-519); unit 513 is painted in a Rock Island commemorative scheme; unit 516 is painted in a Rock Island inspired 30th anniversary paint scheme. 1 EMD GP38 (Numbered 601) 17 EMD GP38-2 (Numbered 700-703; 705; 707-708; 710-716; 718-719; 721) 720 was sold/leased to ADM in Des Moines, Iowa in 2017. 2 Slugs (Numbered 650 and 651) 601 and 650 are semi-permanently mated, as are 721 and 651 In 2006, IAIS also purchased two ex-China Railways QJ 2-10-2 steam locomotives, numbered 6988 and 7081 for special excursion trains and fundraising events. 6988 has been "Americanized", with