What We Promote:
Create
CREATE - A Big Step Towards High Speed Rail
By Mike Blaszak
The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency
Program ("CREATE"), announced by the City of Chicago,
the Illinois Department of Transportation and the major railroads
in June 2003, calls for a $1.5 billion program of railroad infrastructure
improvements in the Chicago area, most of which would be funded
by local, state and federal governments.
Click image to enlarge
The completion of CREATE would result in four high-density, shared
freight routes through the city.
Although not stressed by its proponents, the plan also would improve
the infrastructure available for operation of intercity passenger
trains.
Three of the six rail flyovers included in CREATE are along current
Amtrak and potential high-speed routes. Chicago-St. Louis-Texas
Amtrak trains, like all other train movements, currently must stop
before proceeding through the Brighton Park interlocking. Under
CREATE, that interlocking would be grade-separated, allowing trains
to proceed through without stopping.
Similarly, the crossing at CP Canal would be grade-separated, eliminating
another source of freight interference on the Chicago-St. Louis
route. At present, Amtrak trains must slow from 79 to 50 m.p.h.
for this crossing; grade separation would eliminate this speed restriction.
At Englewood, the crossing of Norfolk Southern's main line with
Metra's Rock Island District also would be separated. NS considers
Englewood one of the primary causes of delay on its entire system.
Since all Amtrak trains between Chicago and points East operate
through Englewood, as presumably would high-speed trains to Detroit,
Cleveland and Indianapolis, the elimination of conflicts with Metra
trains at the crossing would improve reliability. Additional service
to points east of Chicago cannot be added until the Englewood project
is complete.
Construction of the proposed Central Corridor to bypass the St.
Charles Air Line would include restoration of the "Nickel Plate
Connection" at Grand Crossing. This abandoned connection, for
which right of way and structures remain, would allow passenger
trains to Champaign, Carbondale and the South to operate to and
from Union Station without backup movements, saving about 20 minutes.
CREATE also includes upgrading the route presently used by Metra's
Southwest Service into a dedicated Passenger Corridor leading to
LaSalle Street Station. Removing the Southwest Service from Union
Station would create additional platform space and departure slots
for high-speed trains.
Finally, computer projections indicate average freight train speed
through the Chicago area would increase by about a third if all
of the CREATE improvements are constructed. This would reduce freight
train delays, along with the potential for interference with passenger
schedules, and increase the throughput capacity of the network,
thus opening additional slots that could be used by new high-speed
trains.
Article from
Association of American Railroads
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