Illinois Central Corridor at Risk
Update:
The CN has agreed to allow Amtrak to use its lakefront line and the St. Charles Airline until a better connection can be built. The STB is currently considering a timeline for final approval of the transaction. |
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The Canadian National Railway (CN) has submitted an application with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to purchase the Elgin Joliet and Eastern Railroad (EJ&E). This transaction affects all passenger train routes in the Midwest.
The EJ&E circles Chicago, connecting all major railroads serving the Midwest. CN intends to use it as a bypass, making some trackage within the city surplus. The purchase will impact most passenger train routes serving the city, some positively and some negatively. CN map here. EJ&E map here.
The transaction puts the Illinois Central Corridor at severe risk. This route, illustrated in orange, hosts the City of New Orleans, the Illini and the Saluki. It links Chicago, Champaign, Carbondale, Memphis, New Orleans and eighteen other cities. Future service to Decatur will also use this route.
Additionally, a large number of passengers transfer from these trains to all other passenger train routes in Chicago. Therefore, any deterioration of service on the Illinois Central Corridor trains will impact the entire Midwest.
The existing trains are very popular. Ridership on the Chicago to Carbondale portion has increased by 67.5% in the last year since Illinois funded a third daily roundtrip.
The CN has stated that it hopes to abandon portions of this route within the City of Chicago after the purchase is completed. A new route will have to be found.
Building a new connection between the CN and the Norfolk Southern Railroad (NS) at Grand Crossing (near 75th St. and South Chicago Ave. in Chicago) is the only viable solution. The NS line also hosts fourteen Amtrak trains a day. Norfolk Southern will also require upgrades to their track.
This connection would improve Amtrak service, saving at least 10 minutes on each trip. It is included in the State's passenger rail plan and CREATE, a freight rail improvement plan.
Making this connection a reality will require that communities between Chicago and New Orleans make their voice heard during the STB evaluation of the competitive and economic impacts. A separate, and longer, review of the environmental impacts is also being conducted.
The deadline for comments regarding the economic and competitive impacts is January 28.
Updates:
12/18/07: The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad has petitioned to reclassify the transaction from "minor" to "significant." The STB is expected to rule on this petition quickly.
12/21/07: The STB has published the schedule of open houses regarding scoping for the environmental review.
1/7/08: The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad withdrew its petition to reclassify the transaction. The deadline for comments remains January 28.
Click here to learn how to file comments to the STB.
Click here to read the STB's description of the two separate processes for environmental review and competitive and economic review.
Download a printable version of this page.
Download our media statement here. Link to CN statement
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