A new document spells out who pays what in the massive South Shore Railroad improvement project.

In St. Joseph County alone some $43 million worth of financial obligation has been identified.

Today, the City of South Bend agreed in writing to pony up $25 million while the same written memorandum of understand calls on St. Joseph County to contribute $18 million.

The goal is to trim the total travel time between South Bend and Chicago to just 90 minutes.

“Where the train trip is the same or quicker as the car trip and we finally have an opportunity to do that,” said Mayor Pete Buttigieg, (D) South Bend. “And we think that could mean jobs, that could mean growth, that could mean opportunities we haven't even thought of yet for those of us living right here in South Bend.”

On one hand, South Bend is the last stop on the line—it’s the South Shore city that’s the farthest from the Windy City.

On the other hand, Chicago is a city that’s dramatically and uniquely ‘on the move’ and South Bend doesn’t want to be left at the station.

“So Chicago is one of the few cities, in fact I think the only one in North America that's forecast to become a megacity. A megacity is a region that has more than 10 million people living in it and economists think that that will happen to Chicago. That means a lot of opportunity for a place like South Bend,” said Mayor Buttigieg.

While the local share of $43 million is a lot of money—it works out to be just 15 percent of the total cost of the rail improvement project.

The rest will be covered by the other South Shore counties as well as the state and federal governments. “And I think when you look at the job opportunities in Chicago and where people are commuting in from now that labor shed, you know you're looking at 90 minutes north of the city and we're 90 minutes east of the city,” said Regina Emberton with Michiana Partnership.

South Bend’s written pledge to provide $25 million was approved by the city Redevelopment Commission today. It means the city has agreed to pay to re-route the railroad’s approach into the South Bend Airport. A jog that has trains coming from the west looping around the airport to enter from the east will be eliminated.

St. Joseph County is being asked to pay a share of a double tracking project that’s actually taking place between Michigan City and Gary.