Joliet train station12/28/2023 And there's a couple of trains in the evening. There's one in the middle of the day that may or may not be on time. “If you're in Normal and you want to go to Chicago, right now, there are a couple of trains in the morning. Louis would increase use even on the pre-existing trains because it would be more convenient and flexible for business use and the service would become more reliable overall. Harnish said doubling the number of daily trains between Chicago and St. But we need to be thinking much bigger with a lot more frequent service than what is currently being proposed,” he said. And I think we need to convey to the governor and the legislature that Amtrak proposal is a good first step. ![]() It's just a matter of making a state commitment to make it easy to get from downstate Illinois to Chicago to O'Hare,” said Harnish.Īmtrak lumping the diversion to the Rock Island District tracks in with other large-scale improvements in CHIP may make it more politically achievable, Harnish agreed. There are many highway projects that we're working on right now that are a lot more expensive and a lot more complex. “The challenge on the existing corridor is that there are level crossings with four busy freight main lines that make it difficult to run trains through there reliably,” he said.īut there is room in existing right of way for that third line on the Metra-owned sections east of the present alignment. The Rock Island District tracks have few freight movements, but adding Amtrak would probably require construction of a third line of track between Joliet and Chicago, said Harnish, adding capacity for a third line does not exist on the current Joliet route. Secretary of Transportation is expected to announce awards in the next several weeks that will influence the scope of what state lawmakers talk about next spring. Harnish said Amtrak has applied for federal funding for the Chicago Hub through the federal-state-partnership-for-intercity-passenger-rail program. Increasing frequency of trains on the Lincoln Service to take advantage of more timely and reliable service would require more state dollars. ![]() But Amtrak has really taken it up as an important issue.”Ī spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Transportation said planning is in the early stages for the idea and declined an interview.Īmtrak has applied to the federal government for investment in CHIP that would expand and improve Chicago’s passenger rail capacity. Rauner decided that we should stop doing the planning work. That suggested that was the proper way to go,” said Rick Harnish, executive director of the advocacy group, High Speed Rail Alliance. There was an environmental document put together about 10 years ago, for going from five daily round trips to 10. “It has been talked about for a long time. It was never funded, according to a spokesperson for Amtrak.Īt the state level, it was tied to expanded state-supported daily trains on the Chicago-to-St. The Federal Railroad Administration issued a "Record of Decision" in the Obama years that called for switching tracks. High Speed Rail Association Chicago is the center hub of the Midwest passenger rail network.
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