I’m looking for the number of trains that are on the U.P. (C&NW) and BNSF (CB&Q)on a daily basis. There are some maps in past Trains Magazine but are there more current figures? Is there a site that might have data?
Commuter and freight, or just freight?
ed
I just stayed on UP’s line in Malta IL which will see the same freight traffic through the Chicago suburbs from Elmhurst west. On Sunday Jan. 13th I got 49 trains. I think they normally run more than that though, closer to 60 I believe. I only caught 11 coal trains and I was thinking they ran closer to 20. I don’t really know why I caught so few. Anyway, the count is probably close to 100 with all the Metra’s east of Elburn.
I’ve never actually stayed along the BNSF CB&Q line, so I can’t really give you an accurate number, but my guess would be something like 50ish+ freights plus MANY MANY Metra and some Amtrak, I think 8 of them. Well over 100 trains a day on the weekdays on this line.
Oh and as far as a website, you should love this one: http://www.dhke.com/CRJ/
Lots of trains most of the freight traveling thru this country goes thru Chicago I believe the figure is in the 80-85 percent range plus that figure there is 30+ yards in the Chicago area alone
Both. I know the Commuters stop out in La Fox on the U.P. and Aurora on BNSF. I’m mostly concerned with the trains in the Suburbs Between IL. 47 and IL. 53 but I realize that isn’t easy to pin down just an average through the suburbs is all I’m looking for.
Thanks I’ll check out the website. Since I live and work around both of the lines it’s easy to pull over a watch the traffic on both lines. I’m trying to get information for a project at work. Imagine that my instructions were to go find information on the rail road! The maps from the early 2000’s were in the 60 range for freight I assumed they had increased since I continue to hear reports traffic is on the rise.
Are you only looking at those two specific lines? There are other UP lines that run between 47 and 53.
A railroad project for work!! Where the heck do you work?!!
My count on the UP, like I said, I don’t think is very normal, but I doubt they had much increase in traffic these past years. And I really cannot be sure how much the CB&Q increased though I would guess coal and intermodal traffic rose through there with all the BNSF coals they run on through to the eastern RR’s. I would bet the line that had the largest increase in traffic is the ex-sante fe transcon just south of the CB&Q with close to 60 trains in 24 hours on the busy days.
I am not exactly sure but I seem to recall the total number of ALL trains (Amtrak, commuter and freight) between Chicago and Aurora (both directions) is well over 100 per day…while I am not sure, I CAN tell you this line really “rocks” at times with very little down time between trains.
The company I work for has a number of properties along the RR lines out in the Chicago Suburbs. It came up at a staff meeting and as soon as trains were brought up everyone looked at me “no problem” I said. Our interest is in the CN purchase of EJ&E. Through a day of web searches I was able to paste together a resonable number for each line. There seems to be +/- 120 a day on each line when all trains are concidered. Thanks for all the help everyone! John
The last time I researched this, at LaGrange there were 48 Metra trains per day in each direction for a total of 96. Add in Amtrak and the 55-60 freights and the number is about 160-170 on a good day.
Some of the Metra trains only go west as far as Downers Grove, then return, IIRC. So they all don’t trundle past Eola. On the other hand, at Eola we get stuff coming east off the C&I and Illinois Railnet that don’t go through to the city. And outward, as well, including trains going on and off the J.
Jim, maybe we ought to pick a good day in late summer and declare it “West Eola Day” and see how many show up. Pick a day when Bergie can make it.
PZ, that sound like a wonderful idea. In order to get the full impact it will likely need to be a weekday. We can get all the Metra information we need from their schedules and ditto for Amtrak, and all we would need do is count freights and locals, etc. Let’s keep on top of this…BERGIE, ARE YOU LISTENING TO THIS SUGGESTION?
Something new to me is having 8 Amtrak trains daily on BNSF. 2 LD’s, the Chief & Zephyr,then the IL Zephyr & the new Carl Sandberg. (IMHO the state trains should be called the Toy Zephyr & the Toy Chief).
Many of us who live along the racetrack and/or frequent it while railfanning, call the state sponsored IL Zephyr “The Baby Zephyr”.
I’ll add my [2c]…
Freight traffic on the BNSF East-End (Racetrack) is down with a lot of the higher priority Chicago area to Galesburg freight moving to the ex-Santa Fe Transcon. Most of the freight on the BNSF East-End uses the C&I Line going to, or coming from, points northwest (Minneapolis, Seattle, etc.). The ex-BN main between the Chicago area and Galesburg has a lot of lower priority freight trains. Passenger trains are up with the noted Amtrak additions.
Freight traffic on the UP main between Clinton and the Chicago area continues to increase. Intermodal trains now enter / exit the main at Nelson, IL (new Edelstein/BNSF connection) and coal train traffic has also increased a little. Getting an accurate count of freight trains on the UP Geneva Sub can be a little tricky as it’s a multiple point (Clinton, SI Line at Nelson) to multiple terminal / point (Global III, W Chicago Yard/EJE, Proviso Yard/Global II, IHB, Chicago/Global I and other Chicago connections). A rough guess would be @45 on a very slow day to @75-80 on a very busy day (usually a Saturday) between Elburn and W Chicago. Passenger traffic on the UP West Line remains at 60. Metra would like to increase this number in the future, but this depends on adding more capacity - third track between 25th Ave in Maywood to Elmhurst - and more crossovers between Elmhurst and W. Chicago.
CC
I wonder what was the source for your information on the part about increasing capacity by adding a third track from 25th Avenue (formerly JN) in Melrose Park to Elmhurst? This gives westbound freights a place to hold during non-peak commuter times without blocking a wb Metra. Maybe someone figures that the approximately eight minutes lost for local Metra stops and a sixteen-minute window is as much as can be tollerated between fleets of expresses.
A third track and grade separation from River Forest to 25th Av would seem logical as well. Freights entering and leaving the east end of Proviso Yard add to the number of trains between 25th and Kedzie. This allows at least one express to overtake and pass a local. Extending the third track to Elmhurst would allow another express to overtake and pass in the stretch from Oak Park.
One of the most important improvements would be to construct a subway for Main 1 (Metra and eb freight) under the west leads to and from Proviso Yard in Elmhurst.
I would like to see a standard for 70 mph operation for Metra maintained or attained between River Forest and Elmhurst, even if it take some curve re-alignment.
A fourth track seems to be needed from Elmhurst to Kress Rd, West Chicago, and a third track from Kress Rd to Peck Rd, Geneva. East of Elmhurst, a significant volume of traffic diverges to Global II, over the IHB-CSX, and north.
I always knew them as “Little Z” and “Big Z”, “Little C” and “Big C”.
Two sources have mentioned that third main track: CREATE and Metra. Metra wants it all the way from Vale to Park as part of their plan to make UP west service about as frequent as BNSF. CREATE is interested in solving congestion, and has suggested grade separations or other improvements at First Ave., Fifth Ave., and 25th Avenue, in addition to the third track between Park and (I think) Provo Junction.
Not sure if that fourth track west of Elmhurst is practical, but added crossovers (part of Metra’s plan) definitely would be! Put them in just east of the holding points at Wheaton and Finley Road, and perhaps at the gravel pit in Elmhurst (to get scoots out from behind hung-up eastbound freights). Would like to see easing of the curves between Glen Ellyn and Wheaton, but that may not be practical from a land-acquisition standpoint.
The fourth track is not a matter of “practicality” in the sense of being easy to do or relatively inexpensive. The CNW restricted freight operations in the peak periods years ago, holding trains until the peak had passed. I can only guess existing commuter operations are even more of a hinderance with increasing UP freight traffic. I am surprised UP is satisfied with improvements only between River Forest (Vale) and Elmhurst (Park?) to allow expanded service. The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program was put together a few years ago; and freight traffic reportedly has risen since.
What do you think of a subway (fly-under) for Main 1?
If Metra wants to increase service, it will take more high-rise condos, parking, and shuttle services to get riders to the trains. Metra needs a more pro-active campaign for suburban communities than was the policy at least a few years ago.
As for the curves through Glen Ellyn and Wheaton, fewer Metra expresses run through this area than east of Elmhurst, making a poorer case for acceptable costs and increasing rider satisfaction.
Secondly, claiming the Prairie Path for curve easements will not substantially improve speed, meet strong opposition, and generate bad relations.