Most railroads lead to Chicago at some point, and as most folks familiar with rail know that's been a problem for many years. The "Create" program has begun making some headway, but obstacles remain, and passengers are impacted as well.
Freight Train Late? Blame Chicago
"The slowdown involves more than freight. The other day, William C. Thompson, a project manager for the Association of American Railroads, stood next to a crossroads of steel in the Englewood neighborhood pointing to a web of tracks used by freight trains and Amtrak passenger trains that intersected tracks for Metra, Chicago's commuter rail. The commuter trains get to go first, he said, and so 'Amtrak tells me they have more delays here than anywhere else in the system.'
"More delays than anywhere else in the Chicago area? No, he said. 'In the entire United States.'
"Now, federal, state, local and industry officials are completing the early stages of a $3.2 billion project to untangle Chicago's rail system — not just for its residents, who suffer commuter train delays and long waits in their cars at grade crossings, but for the rest of the nation as well."
Chicago is the place where many of the nation's trains grind to a halt, but a major construction project may speed things up. Above, a Metra maintenance center. Photo by Nathan Weber, NY Times.
Freight Train Late? Blame Chicago
"The slowdown involves more than freight. The other day, William C. Thompson, a project manager for the Association of American Railroads, stood next to a crossroads of steel in the Englewood neighborhood pointing to a web of tracks used by freight trains and Amtrak passenger trains that intersected tracks for Metra, Chicago's commuter rail. The commuter trains get to go first, he said, and so 'Amtrak tells me they have more delays here than anywhere else in the system.'
"More delays than anywhere else in the Chicago area? No, he said. 'In the entire United States.'
"Now, federal, state, local and industry officials are completing the early stages of a $3.2 billion project to untangle Chicago's rail system — not just for its residents, who suffer commuter train delays and long waits in their cars at grade crossings, but for the rest of the nation as well."
Chicago is the place where many of the nation's trains grind to a halt, but a major construction project may speed things up. Above, a Metra maintenance center. Photo by Nathan Weber, NY Times.
