Chicago, Grand Crossing connection ?

[nanaimo73]

Back in January 1999 a planned connection was announced for Grand Crossing, which would save Amtrak's Illini and City of New Orleans a 20 minute backup move over the St. Charles Air Line.
Has this been built ?
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=4&S=11&Z=16&X=1126&Y=11557&W=1&qs=%7cchicago%7c%7c

[artpeterson]

It's part of the CREATE projects to improve freight and passenger train flows in the Chicago area. This project (as with the others) is just in the planning stages. The Grand Crossing connection from the NS to the CN is the old NKP link, by the way. The former NKP "subway" under the ex-NYC and PRR embankments/tracks (paralleling South Chicago Avenue) still exists, as does the NKP ROW (heavily grown over) along the west side of the Metra Electric/CN ROW.

[CShaveRR]

The CREATE project wasn't announced until about 2003, but this plan did come about earlier, as a suggestion to eliminate the IC line (St. Charles Air Line) across the south side of Chicago. It's more than just a connection that Amtrak could use--according to that plan, CN would build a new line parallel to NS, through Englewood, thencut over to the Western Avenue corridor, taking over somebody's railroad or right-of-way (possibly the old PRR line) to connect with the CN lines headed west. It would connect with the old IC (later CC&P) route near the canal, and with the former WC using the now-mostly-abandoned CSX line west from Ogden Junction. CREATE gives CN pretty much the same thing.

[nanaimo73]

Thanks guys !

[martin.knoepfel]

If the NKP "subway" and ROW are still there, why not realize this part of the Chicaco Grand Crossing immediately? After all, this cannot be too costly, since you don't have to buy real estate or build tunnels/bridges.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by martin.knoepfel

If the NKP "subway" and ROW are still there, why not realize this part of the Chicaco Grand Crossing immediately? After all, this cannot be too costly, since you don't have to buy real estate or build tunnels/bridges.

It's Chicago...do you know how many public officials would have to be bribed to get this done?[;)]

[Anonymous]

Slow close and yet so far.

[Anonymous]

Having worked in the Chicago Term, for over 30 years on the south side as a conductor and at one time lived in the Grand Crossing Area NKP Subway is just only one example of how these railroads did away with many connections for the sake of saving a few bucks, woulden't give these railroads one dollar until they tell us how much money they saved by doing away with all those connections. The Chicago project CREATE is a joke if you know anything about railroading and the Chicago Term.

Rich Gavril CRI&P 18 years, CSX 9 years, IAIS 10 years
email [e-mail]

[Gary Trolley]

Does anyone know any of the local politicians who could help bring this about?

[CShaveRR]

As far as I know, this connection existed solely to provide a way for Nickel Plate trains to reach the NYC tracks, to get into LaSalle Street Station. They may also have had a freight house closer to the Loop, but this spot was beyond their own yard (Calumet) and the point at which they connected with Chicago's primary freight network (Pullman Junction).

No reason to keep the track in place after that.

As for restoring it, I'm not in that area unless I happen to be on the Skyway a few times per year. But I would think that a connection to the main Amtrak route (on the former PRR at this point) would have to cross the old NYC right-of-way, and might therefore be disruptive to the intermodal facility in the area of what used to be Englewood's station. Not an impossible situation, but not very desirable from NS' standpoint.

[Anonymous]

"Chicago Ain't Ready For (Railroad) Reform Yet !" to paraphrase alderman Paddy Bauler. <VBG>

[ndbprr]

A few years ago Mayor Daley declared that he wanted the St. Charles airline torn down as it blocked the views of downtown from Bridgeport where he lived. Somebody must have straightend him out because now he lives in a downtown highrise.

[artpeterson]

I think Daley's desire to get rid of the St. Charles Airline stemmed from the fact that he was moving from Bridgeport to the condo complex just south of the airline ROW along Indiana Avenue. It also motivated at least some of his desire to see Metra vacate the Weldon Yard (18th Street-Metra Electric District) complex. Now, I understand he's moving to a high-rise being built at Randolph-Wabash. It will be interesting to see what impacts that move has on the CTA's "L" car operating and maintenance practices....