The agency wants to upgrade infrastructure and fix ‘long-standing deficiencies’ in its Chicago-area operations.
Reporting for Trains.com, Bob Johnston outlines Amtrak’s proposed plan to upgrade its Chicago-area infrastructure. “Amtrak is seeking more than $200 million in federal funding, along with money from state and local sources, in an attempt to fix a series of long-standing deficiencies, capacity limitations, and how trains from the south and east enter Chicago.”
Johnston lists the projects that would be funded under this request, including: direct access from the St. Charles Airline to Chicago Union Station to eliminate a time-consuming maneuver that some trains are currently forced to make, “property acquisition for storage and displaced service functions,” and the ‘reactivation’ of Chicago’s Union Station mail platform, among other interconnected projects. Some of the projects are speculative, such as a proposal to acquire Canadian National’s Lakefront Line.
FULL STORY: Amtrak unveils infrastructure plan to transform Chicago operations
Amtrak’s Borealis Exceeds First Year Ridership Expectations
205,800 passengers have boarded the St. Paul to Chicago line, well above initial MDOT projections.
Amtrak Borealis Line Celebrates 100,000 Passengers
The St. Paul-to-Chicago train served more than 22,000 passengers in August.
New Chicago-to-St. Paul Amtrak Line Makes Profit in First Months
The Borealis line provided more than 18,500 rides since its first trips in May.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.
Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”
Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
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