Passenger Trains > Amtrak Black Hawk CN rail upgrades stalled

Amtrak's restored "Black Hawk" service from Chicago, IL to Dubuque, IA was supposed to start next year. Equipment has been procured. Cars are being manufactured in Rochelle. But talks to upgrade the infrastructure with CN have "stalled" according to IDOT's secretary.

The secretary and governor said they "remain steadfast in [their] goal to restore train service to Rockford by the end of 2015" even though their original goal was 2014. It seems that the start date for service on this route is being pushed back a few years every few years.

http://rockrivertimes.com/2013/03/29/mayor-meets-with-state-transportation-officials-regarding-local-projects-including-rail/

Chuck Sweeney, a columnist from the Rockford Register Star is now calling this train the "Godot Limited"

http://www.rrstar.com/insight/x1353227574/Chuck-Sweeny-Columnist-shares-his-predictions-for-2013?zc_p=1.

As always, full updates and map of the route at my Trainorders page: http://members.trainorders.com/dr04/BlackHawk/

Anything released on what CN is objecting to?

Who is building them in Rochelle?

Spending money!

inRVA Wrote:
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> Anything released on what CN is objecting to?

I have no details. I don't think any have been released. But I suspect it's one of two things, or a combination of them: 1) IDOT wants to run multiple trains daily and CN (based on their attitude with other routes ie Metra HC) doesn't want that with mostly single track and 2) CN wants more than the ~30ish million IDOT is offering or wants more for on an annual basis.


santafedan Wrote:
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> Who is building them in Rochelle?

This is actually an interesting question. It's Nippon Sharyo in Rochelle, IL building the cars. That same facility also is finishing a passenger train order for the other Illinois Central route, Metra's current Electric District.

I don't believe a company has been officially awarded for the engines yet, but that money has been procured and IDOT is also leading a multi-state purchase for those engines.

To slightly refine that answer, the contract was actually awarded to "New York-based Sumitomo Corp. of America ... with our carbuilder subcontractor Nippon Sharyo" in Rochelle, IL.

See:
http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/high-performance/sumitomo-lands-midwest-california-hrsr-order.html
http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/commuter-regional/first-four-metra-highliner%E2%80%9D-cars-arrive.html

santafedan Wrote:
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> Who is building them in Rochelle?

DR04 Wrote:
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> It's Nippon Sharyo in Rochelle, IL building the cars.
> That same facility also is finishing a passenger
> train order for the other Illinois Central route,
> Metra's current Electric District.

Hopefully it's not like what happened with the Downeaster start up that lasted 10 years later than anticipated because of Guilford's so called claims on why passenger trains can't run on their tracks!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> Hopefully it's not like what happened with the
> Downeaster start up that lasted 10 years later
> than anticipated because of Guilford's so called
> claims on why passenger trains can't run on their
> tracks!


it is THEIR tracks after all.....

Don't know but I saw the post about the one million dollar bus stop so not sure how far 30 million goes today when you are spending govment dollars.

Bob