UP Bloomington Line Question.

Was out looking at the UP main between Joliet and Bloomington this weekend. The TRT gang is currently at Wilmington working north.

At Odell, there was some dirt work done in the cut at the south end of the siding, like they widened the cut. There is also fresh limestone down the length of the siding on the east side of it. The siding was also recently done it looks like with concrete ties and new rail. New signals also up at either end and turned sideways. Are they putting in another track next to the siding a Odell, or is this going to be a stretch of double track. Or perhaps they are just shoving the siding over, although I cant see why they would.

The bed where the limestone is is way too wide to be just an access road. There is also dirt work being done along the tracks down around Lexington if I remember right.

Any new side track is going to be at 25+ foot track centers. (for speed, maintenance access and future catenary reasons)

In that area there will be a new sidetrack away from the highway and the substandard el-crappo bridge at 2400 Road (I forget what the county calls it, south of town), is to be replaced (insufficient clearance from the day it was built in the 1970s)…

Was at Bloomington yard this morning. At 9:40 northbound Amtrak had two UP business cars at end. Last car was track observation car with big back window, which I think was being used.

Does anyone know if this is related to 110 mph tests or just looking at work completed?