Passenger Trains > HSR Takes another step forward in Springfiled, IL

"High Speed Rail Taking a Big Step Forward"
Fox News - May 11th

http://foxillinois.com/news/local/high-speed-rail-taking-a-big-step-forward

"A key part of bringing high speed rail through Springfield, took a big step forward Tuesday.
The Sangamon County Board unanimously approved the $76 million plan Tuesday night.
$70 million would go towards building four underpasses for the rail in Springfield.
The rest would go to buying property needed for the high-speed rail project."


Project expected to be completed in "just" 10 short years - who'd have ever thought we'd
see 110 mph trains by 2026 (barring delays).  And that we could sell cookies from our
house so long as we don't make over a grand per month???

I've long forgotten the oringal timeline of this project - I can only imagine this is "good news"
to those unaware of the original schedule.  Remind me (us) - are we in fact talking about
110 mph or was it a bit faster?

/Mitch
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/16 12:01 by Mgoldman.

It sounds to me like you are confusing the Illinois High Speed rail project with the local route it will take through the city of Springfield, IL.  The state speed-up is not and has never been projected to take another ten years.  The local route (while they didn't name it I'm assuming it's the 10th St. corridor) has never had a date set or money allocated for it. That's why this is a "big step forward".

tcarl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It sounds to me like you are confusing the
> Illinois High Speed rail project with the local
> route it will take through the city of
> Springfield, IL. 

It appears the proposed HSR route from Chicago
to St Louis includes Springfield, IL.  Are you saying
reducing bottlenecks (grade crossings) and purchasing
more land (assume for second track and /or track re-
alignment) in Springfield were never part of the oringal
Illinois HSR project?

http://www.idothsr.org/

"In 2014 and 2015, work continued throughout the Chicago
to St. Louis Corridor, including siding reconstructions, grade
crossing improvements, fencing installation, utilities and
signal improvements, and bridge construction/modifications."


/Mitch



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/16 13:52 by Mgoldman.

Very good news.
Sad facts though.
Don't look for any 110 mph running anywhere in Illinois during the next ten years either.
There is no time-line for anything other than 79-90, and improvements to the UP are for freight, and only secondarily might benefit passenger.
Illinois may not even have passenger train service at all by 2026 unless things change politically and budgets are discovered for continued upgrades.

110 MPH is NOT "high speed rail." 

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 110 MPH is NOT "high speed rail." 
Yup.  That's why it's been referred to as Higher Speed Rail.

I think this project started 7 years ago with $3 Billion dollars, right?  If I'm right---we sure haven't got much for all this money and time.

​And prior threads have said the new equipment money might have to be given back also..  I just don't get things like this.

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think this project started 7 years ago with $3
> Billion dollars, right?  If I'm right---we sure
> haven't got much for all this money and time.
>
> ​And prior threads have said the new equipment
> money might have to be given back also..  I just
> don't get things like this.

UP sure gained a lot though

Posted from iPhone

NewRiverGeorge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Very good news.
> Sad facts though.
> Don't look for any 110 mph running anywhere in
> Illinois during the next ten years either.
> There is no time-line for anything other than
> 79-90, and improvements to the UP are for freight,
> and only secondarily might benefit passenger.
> Illinois may not even have passenger train service
> at all by 2026 unless things change politically
> and budgets are discovered for continued upgrades.

Odd New River, it was just last week that I managed to ride #304 and even with only one locomotive, the train managed 109 mph between Pontiac and Dwight. If we'd have had a tail wind, we might have made the full 110. It was quite interesting blowing by traffic on I-55. No one in Business Class even noticed as they were so engrossed in their electronics. BTW, we had a fantastic LSA on board that trip. He asked all passengers when they were settled to see if they'd like a newspaper or beverage and came back to check on every one frequently. Done the way it should be.

Mike Perkins
PV Puget Sound Manager

Responding to ronald321, Spoony81 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> UP sure gained a lot though
>
But nothing it really needed to support freight service -- just an overmaintained right of way with few, if any, additional passenger trains to get in the way...not its fault.

Happy to hear Pontiac to Dwight may back up to 110 and that one locomotive is actually able to achieve it.

Last timetable we had access to, max speeds for that section had been downgraded back to 90.

Generally Pontiac to Dwight is screwed up due to one train having to wait for another, and max speeds were seldom relevent there anyway.

Would love nothing better for this corridor to actually "work as intended" instead of being "closed down and bussed for construction."

And getting some 125-mph capable tier IV locomotives would be great for future reliability as well.