Jump to content

impact of high speed rail funding in Chicago area


Guest metralink

Recommended Posts

Guest metralink

What impacts are there from the potential high speed rail stimulus money on the Chicago area?

1) Building grand crossing for better acces to Union station for Amtrak CN(IC ) trains?

2) Additiona grade separations on the Heritage line?

3) grade separation of Englewood?

4) building of westside multi-modal station (expansion of union station)?

5) capacity improvements at union station?

6) expansion of Joliet station into a multi-modal station to include pace and greyhound and track/platform improvements?

7) Service to O'Hare airport?

8) Relocation of Amtrak stops at Naperville and Glenview?

9) multi-modal transfer station betweeen Amtrak lincoln service/heritage corridor and the orange line?

`0) long planned moving Metra SW line to Rock Island station to gain capacity at union station?

11) decicated ROW between chicago and porter IN?

12) triple tracking of Milwaukee north line?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As best as I can tell from the news, they don't even know if this funding is going to this area or the Las Vegas-Disneyland route. (Googling this indicates that probably each governor thinks he or she will get the project, i.e. lots of stories about Wisconsin seeking a network.)

There certainly hasn't been enough planning to indicate what line it would be on. You seem to assume that it would be on current Metra Lines (Heritage or MD N), but then it would conflict with trains that probably average 20 mph and stop once a mile.

Something like Chicago to Detroit, St. Louis, Minneapolis, or Indianapolis (in that order) would be more likely, if the money ever heads in this direction.

Finally, the Amtrak service to Milwaukee is essentially a glorified commuter service, existing only because mostly Wisconsin and somewhat Illinois subsidize it. Converting the MDN line to high speed rail is pretty unlikely, give the number of grade crossings in the middle of villages, conflicting freight movements in the Techny area, and stuff like that. However, some articles mention Chicago to Milwaukee.

(The last paragraph also indicates that any tangible plan will be subject to a VERY LONG environmental review process. The New Starts haven't even reached that yet.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest metralink

First the Las Vegas line maglev is not named in the legislation, calling this out was the jab of the opposition to the stimulus looking for pork and tying it into Reid totalling missing this is a priority of the president. This program is supported by Obama, there are plenty of articles which state it was the administration's correction in not pushing to include HSR legislaton in the original versions. The legislation is a competitive program managed by the DOT. All projects must apply. Projects which support HSR and intercity rail are both eligible.

Will Illinois get projects funded? the facts say the President is from Ill, the DOT secretary is from ILL, the senior senator supporting HSR is from ILL, Amtrak's Chairman is from Ill.

States with projects,$8B will go across the country

Illinois: equipment, track upgrades to Chi-Stl, Carbondale, upgrades for Quad Cities service, congestion improvements in Chicago area, Bloomington/normal station, stations for Quad city service

Wisconsin: equipment, upgrades for Chi - Mlk, - Madison-MSP, green bay engineering, new stations

Indiana: Chicago - Porter dedicated line, upgrades to Indianapolis, new equipment

MI: upgrades Detroit line, new station Dearborn, Jackson improvements, new equipment

Ohio: upgrades Toledo-Cleveland , new service Cleveland Columbus-Cinncinnati new equipment

WA: Portland - Seattle upgrades new equipment

CA: HSR plan

MO: upgrades Stl. - KC

MN: twin cities station, upgrades to Chi-MSP line, MSP-Duluth planning

NY: Albany area upgrades, upgrades Buffalo line, new equipment

NC: Charlotte corridor upgrades, SE HSR corridor

Virginia: expansion of NEC to Richmond, electrification, triple track segments

FL: rail upgrades

CO: planning

NEC: upgrades

Maine: Portland corridor expansion, upgrades new equipment

TX: Dallas-Houston- San Antonio, upgrades

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest metralink

Also, the Midwest regional plan has been studied for over 10 years, many projects for track upgrades have already been through engineering.

The plan calls for 110 mph over most of the system and congestion improvements in the urban areas.

http://www.midwesthsr.org/

there are links to the midwest regional plan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest metralink

Anything for Chicago - Dubuque, IA. (the former Illinois Central Gulf corridor)? :huh:

according to the legislation, states can apply for both intercity and HSR corridors so yes the Dubuque corridor would be eligibile for funding should Illinois apply.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Maybe a necropost to a necroidea, but there are stories that high speed rail funding is dead. While Quinn thought he was going to suck up all the money forfeited by Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida, looks like there won't be such.

I remember concluding somewhere that not even the Chicago to St. Louis line would really be high speed, but I guess that was somewhere else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...