O'Hare Express Trains

[NewFlyerMCI]

1 hour ago, Tcmetro said:

The Midway stop serves as a local bus connection and probably generates more traffic from that than from the airlines. 

The O'Hare stop basically only serves people who have some business at the airport (maybe there are a few people transferring to the 250/330), and employees get a special pass that gives them a regular fare. 

Ok? That still doesn't make it right, in my opinion. Besides, people coming from Midway on the bus can still get a transfer, so it won't really affect them. I still say $5 for both or not at all

[NewFlyerMCI]

34 minutes ago, geneking7320 said:

When I visited DC back in 2000 I used Amtrak to get to BWI. I was in Baltimore during the week and then took MARC to DC. To return home to Chicago I took Amtrak from Union Station because MARC (which would have been cheaper) did NOT run on the weekend. What mode is fastest to BWI from downtown Washington?

Oh, that's all changed now. Penn Line has weekend service and bike cars now. Acela is fastest (if it stops at BWI, not all do), then medium haul Amtrak trains (everything going south of VA), followed by regular regionals and then MARC. Not a huge difference in travel times, it's about ~30 mins, with maybe 1-3 minutes save between each service

[strictures]

7 hours ago, chicagocubs6323 said:

Oh come on, just cause he tried weed that one time on that podcast? ??

It's not that one time.  He appears to be stoned much of the time & not just weed.

[MetroShadow]

21 hours ago, chicagocubs6323 said:

I'm surprised no one here has discussed about Elon Musk's O'Hare Express.

We are (and should be) collectively okay with that. 

[chicagocubs6323]

26 minutes ago, MetroShadow said:

We are (and should be) collectively okay with that. 

No one wants it so I could agree.  The only way to make "L" trips to O'Hare faster is to make speed limits on the O'Hare branch go up to 70 mph.  That would require more track repairs and more power, though.

[Busjack]

Appears that the idea is being resurrected. ABC7 and other sources: 

Chicago business and civic leaders announced plans Tuesday for what they're calling the "O'Hare Flyer."

Plans call for using existing freight right-of-ways to create a 15-minute train connection between O'Hare's terminal 2 and the Old Post office on Van Buren Street.

...

The group behind the project hopes to get it running within the next five years.

Of course, the eternal question is how are they goingto get trackage rights from CN (as pointed out by the Tribune)?

[Sam92]

15 hours ago, Busjack said:

Appears that the idea is being resurrected. ABC7 and other sources: 

Chicago business and civic leaders announced plans Tuesday for what they're calling the "O'Hare Flyer."

Plans call for using existing freight right-of-ways to create a 15-minute train connection between O'Hare's terminal 2 and the Old Post office on Van Buren Street.

...

The group behind the project hopes to get it running within the next five years.

Of course, the eternal question is how are they goingto get trackage rights from CN (as pointed out by the Tribune)?

I asked the same thing. If Metra couldn't get access for extra NCS service what kind of pull will these guys have to get over that hurdle? Heck Metra can probably do it for cheaper since they already have the trains so why not just fight for the rights on Metra's behalf?

[Busjack]

4 hours ago, Sam92 said:

I asked the same thing. If Metra couldn't get access for extra NCS service what kind of pull will these guys have to get over that hurdle? Heck Metra can probably do it for cheaper since they already have the trains so why not just fight for the rights on Metra's behalf?

Some hints in the linked Tribune article: the CEO is "a lobbyist and the CEO of strategic communications firm," it's aspirational, and somehow they are going to come up with $2.2 billion. In short, poof, as also implied by the Musk reference.

[artthouwill]

5 hours ago, Sam92 said:

I asked the same thing. If Metra couldn't get access for extra NCS service what kind of pull will these guys have to get over that hurdle? Heck Metra can probably do it for cheaper since they already have the trains so why not just fight for the rights on Metra's behalf?

They saus rhey would mostly use existing row. I thought they mentioned CSX  and they also admitted they would have to build a mule of track downtown and a mile or so at ORD.  The goal is to get to Terminal 2..  

 

I think the better idea is to work with the city to build a connection for Metra from Terminal 2 to the MDW tracks directly * without Involving CN)     

 

THE  Only problem logistically is that neither Union Station nor the Old Post Office are centered enough for a large number of people to use the service.   I still think the cheaper and more practical way is to build express tracks in the reversible lanes of the Kennedy.  Next, build a subway from Ohio under Hubbard's Cave to connect to the subway at Lake/Milwaukee.   The trains would have to stop at Rosemont  Cumberland,  Harlem,  and Jefferson Park. It still would eliminate i1 stops and bring down the travel ti e to 25 - 39 minutes.  With the loss of vehicular access to the reversible, more people would choose the train.  

[Busjack]

53 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

I think the better idea is to work with the city to build a connection for Metra from Terminal 2 to the MDW tracks directly * without Involving CN)     

That's an idea. I don't know how much tunneling under O'Hare either would take.