Chicago to Dubuque by 2014? The Black Hawk return update?

[CHamilton]

The Moline service is also scheduled to start in December 2015. It appears to be further along in the process, but requires substantially more track and signal improvements.

Track work could delay Moline-Chicago passenger rail service

The Illinois Department of Transportation plans to start rehabilitation work this summer on a segment of railroad track to be used for passenger rail service between Moline and Chicago.
Jae Miller, IDOT spokeswoman, said upgrades to the BNSF tracks between Chicago and Wyanet, will start this summer. She said IDOT recently determined more work is than previously planned will be needed to prepare the rail line from Wyanet to Moline will begin. She said it isn't known yet when the work will begin.

Ms. Miller said the tracks are owned by the Iowa Interstate Railroad. The additional work could delay the launch of passenger rail service to 2016.

She said IDOT is discussing what needs to happen and when. The department expects to release a schedule for the upgrades between Wyanet and Moline in late fall.

Passenger rail service to and from Moline was scheduled to begin in late 2015.

 

[neroden]

This seems lazy on the part of IDOT. So there's more work required than expected; seriously, get started on it already. Saying that they're not going to announce a *schedule* until the end of fall seems lazy. Figure out what the long-lead-time items are and start on them ASAP.

 

[neroden]

Oh. On the actual topic (Dubuque service) it appears to be suspended indefinitely due to inability to get agreement from CN. Instead, agreement has been reached with UP and Rockford service will be started as soon as they can.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-04-10/news/chi-amtrak-rail-service-between-chicago-and-rockford-to-begin-in-2015-20140410_1_chicago-to-rockford-service-rock-river-new-route

 

[MikefromCrete]

This seems lazy on the part of IDOT. So there's more work required than expected; seriously, get started on it already. Saying that they're not going to announce a *schedule* until the end of fall seems lazy. Figure out what the long-lead-time items are and start on them ASAP.

Probably not so much lazy as "we'll need another year to get enough money" since the Illinois legislature isn't great handler of money, always spending way more than they should. Right now they're busy figuring out how to meet pension obligations, since in the past they've usually taken money designated for pensions and spent it on something else.

 

[neroden]

This seems lazy on the part of IDOT. So there's more work required than expected; seriously, get started on it already. Saying that they're not going to announce a *schedule* until the end of fall seems lazy. Figure out what the long-lead-time items are and start on them ASAP.

Probably not so much lazy as "we'll need another year to get enough money" since the Illinois legislature isn't great handler of money, always spending way more than they should. Right now they're busy figuring out how to meet pension obligations, since in the past they've usually taken money designated for pensions and spent it on something else.

Ah. NYS does similar things, passing all its budgets late and using shenaningans like borrowing from one fund to spend on another fund. But Governor Quinn really wants to get this project done and you'd think he'd shake the money up. Most of it is federal money anyway.

At least do the land acquisition and get the wetland permits and do the soil testing to find where there may have been previous toxic spills -- that stuff takes forever.

 

[Jason]

looks like theres been a calling out of the Railroad by Senator Durbin...lets get this moving already

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140606/NEWS/140609326/10924/NEWS