While we wait for Sean Jeans-Gail’s analysis of the news that broke last Friday afternoon, I wanted to write a quick update to a blog I wrote back in March:
Take Me Out to the Train Yard
“Baseball is a lot like life. It’s a day-to-day existence, full of ups and downs.” - Ernie Harwell
Amongst the list of projects receiving funding as part of the FRA’s National Railroad Partnership Program are these three items:
Illinois – Chicago Rail Bridge Renewal P3 [7] (Up to $87,000,000)
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
The proposed project was selected for Project Development, Final Design, and Construction to rehabilitate or replace approximately 17 aging viaducts, bridges, and ancillary structures at Chicago’s Canal Street Yard as part of Amtrak’s Chicago Rail Bridge Renewal P3 Project.
The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety and improving system and service performance because it will correct critical structural deficiencies and eliminate hazards for rail operations, drivers, and pedestrians.
This public-private partnership clears the path for Amtrak to modernize and relocate its Midwest maintenance facilities—a cornerstone investment that supports expanded fleet maintenance capacity, ensures safe and efficient train movements, and enhances the passenger experience across the network. Amtrak will contribute a 20 percent non-Federal match, which may include funding from its public-private partner.
The project will benefit Blue Water, Borealis, Hiawatha, Illini/Saluki, Illinois Zephyr, Lincoln, Pere Marquette, Wolverine routes. This project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for long-distance passenger rail routes and services: Amtrak’s California Zephyr, Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Empire Builder, Floridian, Lake Shore Limited, Southwest Chief, and Texas Eagle routes.
[7] This project funds a portion of the scope under Amtrak’s application Midwest Maintenance Facilities Modernization P3 Final Design and Construction, which is complementary to the Midwest Maintenance Facilities
Modernization P3 acquisition project also selected under this program.
Illinois – Midwest Maintenance Facilities Modernization P3 (Up to $572,000,000)
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
The proposed project was selected for Right of Way Acquisition and includes activities to improve efficiency and safety at Amtrak’s Chicago-area Midwest Maintenance Facilities by relocating certain maintenance facilities from Amtrak’s 14th St. Yard to the to-be-acquired Canal St. Yard to support ongoing operations. The project aligns with the selection criteria by improving service and system performance because it will provide a modern, efficient maintenance and inspection facility and increase the ability to meet anticipated demand.
Amtrak will contribute a 20 percent non-Federal match, which may include funding from its public-private partner.
The project will benefit Blue Water, Borealis, Hiawatha, Illini/Saluki, Illinois Zephyr, Lincoln, Pere Marquette, Wolverine routes. This project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for long-distance passenger rail routes and services: Amtrak’s California Zephyr, Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Empire Builder, Floridian, Lake Shore Limited, Southwest Chief, and Texas Eagle routes.
Illinois – South Branch Bridge Rehabilitation (Up to $37,250,000)
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
The proposed project was selected for Final Design and Construction activities to rehabilitate the existing South Branch Bridge and Project Development activities for a future bridge replacement. Activities will support the immediate state of good repair including the replacement of missing fasteners, defective hardware, and replacement parts to balance, support machinery and plan for a future replacement.
The project aligns with selection criteria by enhancing safety and increasing reliability because it will bring the over-110-year-old South Branch Bridge into a state of good repair. Amtrak will contribute a 20 percent non-Federal match, which may include funding from the Chicago Department of Transportation, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Metra, and Cook County.
When I posted my blog earlier this year talking about the news that the future owner of the White Sox was looking to purchase the current Amtrak yard to the south of Chicago Union Station, while Amtrak was in talks to move their operation further south to UP’s Canal St yard - it was written with a “let’s wait and see” slant, especially with so many moving parts involved.
Well, based on what we are seeing with the above funding levels, it seems like the waiting part is just about over (at least on Amtrak’s end).
The money being doled out to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation is the first domino to fall in this overarching story, which very well could end with not only a state-of-the-art maintenance facility for railroad capital of the world, but a brand new stadium for the beloved South Side baseball team once Amtrak moves its operation a little further south.
To me, the biggest news here is money to rehab the godawful 112-year-old South Branch Bridge because, without that, absolutely none of these plans will mean anything. Anyone who has traveled in and out of Chicago knows the rusted, creaky, one-way in and out for a high percentage of passenger rail service in the city and will celebrate this funding. I would guess that most of the emails/comments I received back in March were about this bridge and it being the single most important piece in all of these talks.
We will have more on the whole USDOT/FRA story soon, but I thought this update was a good place to start for our readers.
See you on board!
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Blog title credit goes to Moby
Oh yeah - the White Sox are in first place, and the Pope loves us.
Yes, it's great to see the investment in the badly-needed Chicago maintenance facility, and the bridge and tracks necessary to access it. The next step needs to be to articulate the vision for how it is planned to increase Union Station capacity