There are reports that the regular line CHI - Joliet was closed due to a Natural gas leak caused by construction crew. Reported that TE #21 & 22 detoured on the RI to JOT. + some STL trains.
1. Is this route available at the Englewood fly over now ?
2. Have Amtrak engineers qualified on the RI or did it use Metra pilots ?
The route used is the Metra Rock Island District from the connecting track at Joliet (south of the station, which is why trains don't stop there) to the 16th St connection with the St Charles Airline, used by the City of New Orleans, Illini and Saluki. SCAL to Union Tower on the BNSF line southwest of Union Station, and a backup move into the station. There is no track connection at Englewood, where the Amtrak trains use the flyover. The one time connection from the CRI&P to the PRR in the southwest qaudrant was removed long ago, probably when the Dan Ryan Expressway was built.
There may be some Amtrak crews qualifed on this route as it has been used occasionally, but most likely a Metra pilot goes along.
The Texas Eagle of August 7th departed Chicago a little more than an hour late but was 12 hours 14 minutes late arriving in Joliet.
Dakguy201 The Texas Eagle of August 7th departed Chicago a little more than an hour late but was 12 hours 14 minutes late arriving in Joliet.
Johnny
Deggesty Dakguy201 The Texas Eagle of August 7th departed Chicago a little more than an hour late but was 12 hours 14 minutes late arriving in Joliet. A stagecoach would have gotten them there faster, even with a stop for meals.
A stagecoach would have gotten them there faster, even with a stop for meals.
Some folks could have walked there faster.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
A later report on another site stated that at present there is no connection at Englewood to the SW bound RI line. Instead trains departed Union station, backed east on the St. Charles line then entered RI at 16th st crossing with METRA pilot to Joilet.
Does anyone have a diagram of past, present, & future ( Create ) track layouts at Englewood ? Thought that both Amtrak and RI lines were eventually be connected there for both north to both south tracks.
There is (or was) a track connection in the Northeast quadrant only at Englewood, norht of the the former NYC intermodal yard. The CREATE program does not include any new track connections at Englewood. The Illinos DOT HSR proposal to reroute Chicago-St Louis service via Metra would connect the ex-PRR line used by most eastern Amtrak tains to the ex-CRI&P Metra line at 39th st, where the former Chicago River and Indiana crosses both bridging the Dan Ryan Expressway.
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