The 139-mile trip from Chicago to Champaign may only take 45 minutes in the near future if a proposed high-speed railway becomes reality.

The Champaign F1RST Group, a combination of individuals from the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce and the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, has advocated for a $10 million grant to fund a high-speed rail study in the Midwest.

“We want the study because we believe the best corridor is from Chicago to Champaign to St. Louis,” said Laura Weis, president and CEO of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce.

The $10 million grant would be part of a larger sum — $8 billion — that President Obama has set aside for high-speed rail in the United States. This federal funding is competitive money, which means states will apply for it and different amounts will be allocated based on the plans that are presented, said Ashley Cross, spokeswoman for Gov. Pat Quinn.

Applications for the money are due to the U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday, Cross said. Weis said Indiana and Wisconsin are also vying for different routes.

“It’s about which state makes the best argument for high-speed rail in the country,” Weis said.

According to a press release from the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, the Champaign F1RST Group returned from Washington, D.C., on Sept. 25 after interacting with congressional leaders and advocating for the $10 million study.

“We were warmly received by Washington when we went to present this,” said John Dimit, president and CEO of Champaign County Economic Development Corporation.

The $10 million study would work on finding the best corridor for the new trains, which would travel at 220 mph, Weis said.

Dimit said the route advocated by the Champaign F1RST Group would also run through Kankakee, Decatur and Springfield.

The Midwest High Speed Rail Coalition has completed an independent study, concluding Champaign County was the best stop for the railway to travel through, Weis said.

She added that right-of-way rights would allow for railroad owners to construct high-speed rails on existing tracks in the area without having to repurchase those rights. She added that there would be fewer sharp turns, and a stop in Champaign would service a larger population.

There are also few existing railways in the area, which means there would be more room to build the new high-speed railways, she said.

Weis said a stop in Champaign would connect the University of Illinois campuses and also help develop a more commercial community in Champaign. It would create shopping, a better housing market and more jobs for people, she added.

The $10 million study is only a small chunk of the $550 million grant Illinois applied for. There is no guarantee the money for the grant will be approved, but the state is supposed to hear back by January 2010, Weis said.

She added that if Chicago gets the bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, the chances of a high-speed railway here are better because any city securing the Olympic bid would want to have a good infrastructure.

While the games are an incentive to build high-speed railways, Dimit says it is also important to keep in mind the long-term impact of the railways.

“High-speed rail has to be justified on more than just the Olympics, but it provides a strong starting point,” Dimit said.

Weis said there has been discussion about a high-speed railway through Champaign for several months, but there are still many steps to be taken before a railway is actually constructed.

“This is something that’s not going to happen tomorrow,” she said.