Chicago plan: relief at last?

Railway Age, Oct, 2006

It's been a long wait, but late last month Congressman Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) announced a new $330 million funding agreement for the CREATE (Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency) rail improvement project. The agreement--including $100 million appropriated in last year's federal transportation bill (supported by Lipinski), $100 million from the Class I railroads (new, unspent funding that's part of their total commitment of $212 million), $100 million from the state of Illinois, and $30 million from the city of Chicago--will help the $1.532 billion project move forward over the next three years.

This is good news, said Association of American Railroads President and CEO Edward Hamberger, because the project will "reduce highway congestion, improve passenger rail service, and enhance the efficiency and capacity of freight rail operations through the area. It's what public/private partnerships are all about."

The ambitious project, first announced in 2003, will create 25 new roadway overpasses or underpasses at locations where auto and pedestrian traffic currently crosses railroad tracks at grade level; six new rail overpasses or underpasses to separate passenger and freight tracks; viaduct improvements; grade crossing safety enhancements; and extensive upgrades to track, switches, and signal systems.

Earlier this year, CN withdrew from the six railroad/city/state consortium formed to fund and construct the CREATE project after Congress appropriated $100 million--$500 million less than anticipated--in federal funds (RA, February, p. 6). While the railroad said it supported CREATE as a worthy concept, it could not justify making an initial financial commitment of $17 million without the prospect of receiving operational benefits.