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Politicians call for expanded Amtrak service on busy CN route
“…[A]dditional subsidy funding…” will ALWAYS be necessary as long as Illinois uncritically sole-sources this kind of service to Amtrak without competitive bids. Why aren’t the politicians calling for a request for tenders to see what other qualified companies might be able to operate this service for less, or provide more service for the same outlay?
The state would need to pay to have a second track built that is AMTRAK passenger service only next to the CN freight service only mainline.
Keep them from conflicting.
What is that “grand crossing” thing all about?
Glad to see ridership is up, but unless more sidings are added to the corridor, its unlikely more trains wil added on top of the fact that Amtrak runs late most of the time on this corridor due to freight traffic and construction delays.
If the Grand Crossing shortcut were built, that would save something like 25 minutes per trip, if my memory is serving me. That’s almost as much time every day as another round trip from Chicago to Champaign. Furthermore, if the morning departure can leave later, the equipment might be available for an early run into Chicago from Champaign. That means, do the infrastructure project and the extra train could be operated free! (OK, it’s not quite so simple, and I’m ignoring CN’s capacity needs, but It’s the principal)
How about this: build the Grand Crossing connection, CREATE project P4, FIRST and then think about increased frequencies. The idea of more trains works more smoothly with increased infrastructure.
For the uninitiated: http://www.createprogram.org/factsheets/P4.pdf
I think they want to complete programs P2 and P3, which routes more commuter trains to LaSalle and away from Union Station, before P4. Yes, this has been “talked” about for far too long.
It is beyond frustrating that small minded people who are in positions of power for very short periods of time can make short sighted decisions that have profoundly negative consequences for decades afterward. Single tracking the IC is only one of many. If Moyers is still alive, someone or group should let him know is no uncertain manner just how wrong-headed this was.
This state is so BROKE that they should be looking for way to pay down our DEBT before doing anything else!!! I am not against adding an extra train to that route if it is needed,but this spend,spend mentality in Illinois has to stop!!
This state is so BROKE that they should be looking for way to pay down our DEBT before doing anything else!!! I am not against adding an extra train to that route if it is needed,but this spend,spend mentality in Illinois has to stop!!
This state is so BROKE that they should be looking for way to pay down our DEBT before doing anything else!!! I am not against adding an extra train to that route if it is needed,but this spend,spend mentality in Illinois has to stop!!
As an observer and former Illinois taxpayer, I would add those who are broke usually don’t know where the additional funding would come from. That won’t stop Illinois.
Grand Crossing (at 75th Street) is a crossing of the CN (formerly IC) with the former PRR. If a connection were built here, the trains to/from southern Illinois would have a straight shot out of/into Union Station. As it is, the exit/entrance from/to the station is somewhat involved, involving backing on the former Burlington to a junction with the St. Charles Airline (used for IC traffic to Iowa) and joining the mainline at about 18th Street. The St. Charles Air Line has a low speed limit; I do not recall just what it is.
This connection has been under discussion for all too many years.
You can thank “single track Harrison” for the congestion. When traffic slows for a while on the highway, they don’t start ripping up lanes do they?
Agree with the Grand Crossing investment, and the line needs to be 2MT to at least the Blufield cutoff. IL should be responsible for operating funding only. The capital projects should be public-private with a federal component that would come from a comprehensive transportation infrastructure funding bill, a local (Chicago) component funded by developers lusting after the St Charles Air Line corridor, and a CN component paid for by future Alberta-Gulf bitumen traffic.
Mike Morris.
The IC was single tracked long before Mr. Harrison got there. That was a product of Mr. Moyers in the early 90’s. I was working with Holland Company at the time and we were down working from Edgewood south on the Centralia main, welding up track on the line that IC was going to keep in before taking the other one out.
Now CN claims about congestion after the IC single-tracked the line some years back. Just how many railroad managers did this in the 1980s and 90s? Asset stripping and now the bill has come due.
Now CN claims about congestion after the IC single-tracked the line some years back. Just how many railroad managers did this in the 1980s and 90s? Asset stripping and now the bill has come due.
How about the fact that the Amtrak waiting room at Chicago Union Station is already a standing-room-only fire hazard? They need to fix station capacity before adding more trains!