Passenger Trains > Construction Begins On Quad Cities Improvements

This is nice to see. Construction begins at BNSF's Eola Yard in Aurora, IL, on trackwork to support the eventual Chicago-Quad Cities (Moline, etc.) passenger service.

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Work-begins-on-BNSF-Eola-Yard-for-ChicagoMoline-passenger-service--42337

Still not a shovel turned at Wyanet where the BNSF-IAIS connection is to be built, nor has any work on upgrading the IAIS between Wyanet and Moline taken place.

This service was supposed to be up and running by now according to the original projections. Interesting that it's now figured for 2016 by which time the new Midwest Corridor equipment should be coming on line.

I suppose if you're going to roll out a new service, no point making your debut with 30+ year-old equipment. You only get one chance to make a first impression.

NZ

Ok, I'll bite, why are these trains using Eola yard in Aurora??

Bob

robj Wrote:
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> Ok, I'll bite, why are these trains using Eola yard in Aurora??
> Bob

The press release is misleading - the passenger trains will not use Eola Yard. The "Eola Mainline Improvements" are intended to provide longer yard tracks so that eastward freight trains currently held on the BNSF mainline between Mendota and Montgomery, effectively reducing it to single track, can be held at Eola Yard instead. (These trains are held awaiting track space in the Chicago Terminal or on connecting eastern roads.) This will open up capacity on the mainline for the four additional daily passenger trains (two round-trips) serving the Quad Cities.

A further improvement at Eola will add a fourth main track for use by Metra suburban trains in case an extra-long freight must be held on the main instead of in the Eola Yard.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/22/14 20:58 by illini73.

One has to be grateful for small blessings - it's not uncommon for the original in-service date to be a tad optimistic. These small initial steps do tend to signal that the bureaucracies are getting on with the project - so there's hope it will actually come to be.

What's a bit disappointing IMHO is the whole notion of adding tracks to park trains that can't make it through Chicago. There's an elephant in the room if I ever saw one.

- Paul