Illinois $45 billion bill funds additional Amtrak, Metra and CREATE projects

[JOHN RICE]

In what has to be the largest state spend in railroad infrastructure and services.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-viz-illinois-infrastructure-plan-database-20191018-dti3anpgqng7bg6oh4f4yafosq-htmlstory.html

Illinois massive $45 billion transporation spending bill includes a set aside of $275 million for Chicago-Rockford Amtrak service, $225 million for Amtrak to the Quad Cities from Chicago. $400 million for road diversion to support CREATE. $164 million for rail updates for CREATE. $150 million to move the Belt Railway at 63rd Street. $122 million to relocate Amtrak in Springfield. $100 Million for METRA extension in Kendall County & $100 Million for Amtrak-Carbondale service improvements. $96 million to extend METRO-Link from Scott AFB to Mid America Airport $96 million for CREATE improvements at 75th Street. $50 million for new traction power on CTA blue line and $31 million for other upgrades.

[AMTRAKKER]

275 million for Chicago to Rockford is silly.

Metra already has service to Elgin, it is maybe 40-45 miles on to Rockford. 

This segment would be better served by a commuter rail model, with the appropriate counties joining the consortium of counties that support Metra service with an increased sales tax. 

[JOHN RICE]

According to the proposed service plan, it will be a Metra trainset operated by Amtrak. The money is to upgrade the Belvidere Sub (UP) to 78mph running and put in a couple of switches downtown at Western Ave. and another set at Big Timber.

The Big Timber switch will allow the trains to move over to the UP line from the MILW West line. The UP West line is already congested to West Chicago, so routing the Rockford line this way was more straightforward. 

[charlie hebdo]

What are the switches at Western Avenue for? 

[JOHN RICE]

Per Trains....

The decision to use Metra’s West line allows Rockford-bound trains to use the same tracks that Amtrak’s Milwaukee-bound trains travel out of Union Station through the Western Avenue interlocking as far as Pacific Junction, then utilize Metra’s existing station at Elgin. A crossover between Metra and UP does exist at Western Avenue, but only on one track. 

If you look at the Tower A-1 crossing, only the south MILW-West track can actually switch with the UP-West line. The others are strictly diamonds. This is becuase that south track also supports access to the UP California Avenue coach maintenance facility.

It was setup this way so Metra gallery cars coming out of the shop could be pulled out and backed into into the California Ave coach yard for re-attachment.

When the work is done, it means that Metra can use the OTC to support the Rockford service.

 

[daveklepper]

I assume rhe existing commuters (Harvard, etc) are used to arriving at Union Station, and the Milwaukee (CN) side is not crowded.  So the trains will probably use these switches to access Union Station insead of the Ogelbi Transportation Center (Northwestern Station).  Am I correct?   This is mostly a guess.

[charlie hebdo]

As I understand it,  the neo-Blackhawk will take Milwaukee -West from Union Station to Elgin Big Timber and switch there to UP (ex-CNW)  to R'ford. Western Avenue switch is not used,  just crossover UP-West. 

[JOHN RICE]

I am not sure of the detailed logistics of the situation, I saw a summary of the changes needed and where the money would go. It stated that switch upgrades were required at Western Avenue and Elgin - Big Timber. Since there is no switch at Big Timber today, that is an easy one to sort. But the situation at Western Avenue is somewhat more complex. The summary could have meant in or around the Metra Western Avenue yards, just NW of Tower A-1. The same south track on the MILW does not have direct access to that Metra Western Ave. Yard. Any gallery cars coming out of the Western Avenue Yard, cannot reach that south track until it reaches the switch at Leavitt Street. This might be a problem if/when there are meets between the Rockford service and other Metra consists that share the line in each direction. Or it may be an Amtrak requirement since they will be running the trains in the cab. And yes I misstated the station earlier, its CUS, not OGT.

[CMStPnP]

I just think it is rather curious this is comming out of either general revenue fund or bond issuance because it once again points out the fact that the rail side of the equation in Illinois does not have a secure funding source and is not self-sustaining.   In effect Illinois has chosen the Amtrak funding model for it's rail projects going forwards.

I thought the whole purpose of an RTA, Taxing districts was to support the financial needs of the underlying rail programs 100% plus a percentage for growth and improvment.   Instead we see those taxes unable to even sustain the associated rail systems and we see politicians expanding the needs of said systems well beyond what the underlying tax system can support.......and dipping into General Revenues / Funding to cover the fairly massive shortfall.    

No way to run a budget in my view.   It's also fair to ask,  What Budget?

[JOHN RICE]

The $45 Billion spend will be bond based on the recent fuel tax increase. When the RTA sales tax was deployed in the 1970's, it did cover a large majority or certain expenses. That tax percentage has not changed. Also while inflation on those operational expenses continue to climb, inflation on the consumer products that are taxed has been much smaller. Some have blamed the fact that RTA has a large buy US mandate, but consumers have been getting cheaper and yet cheaper goods from more and more offshore sources and avoiding taxes by buying online. It's been an aggregate of events. This creates a growth mismatch and after all these years, a revenue to expense gap that is massive. Illinois has been a large proponent of internet sales taxes as they believe it robs them of a revenue source to cover items like RTA. So now its all catch up.

[charlie hebdo]

Of the $45 billion,  less than 10% is for RTA.  It goes all over the state,  into various communities.