Plan for expansion needs revision after opposition kills sidings in Chicago suburbs
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/05/20-wisconsin-illinois-still-want-more-hiawatha-trips
It is important for folks to understand that the two sidings were not needed for increased Hiawatha Service. They were for changed/expanded freight service.
Thats true the sidings were a Canadian Pacific demand not a passenger train necessity. In my view CP was attempting to use Amtrak’s naivete to increase it’s freight train operations flexibility at taxpayer expense. I don’t see the CP demanded sidings as necessary since they have two other options to route their trains around the congestion. 1. CP can reschedule to run their trains 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. into Bensenville fairly easily. 2. CP can use it’s Mississippi River line to reach Bensenville from the West (though this route would be much slower).