Illinois passenger rail planning may shift to commission

Illinois passenger rail planning could move into a more public process. A compromise is being discussed at the Illinois State Capitol. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

It would shift evaluation of new and improved passenger rail lines. Those lines would be reviewed by a body focused on trains. The change could also reach routes beyond Illinois and elsewhere in the Midwest.

Why Illinois passenger rail planning could shift to the Commission?

The High Speed Rail Alliance has been backing the Passenger Rail Planning Act in Illinois, together with its members and allies. The legislation would require the Illinois Department of Transportation to plan for high-frequency passenger rail service. Those corridors would mostly extend from Chicago to destinations across Illinois, the Midwest, and into the Northeast and South.

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That proposal may now be revised. The first phase of planning would be handled instead by the existing Illinois High Speed Rail Commission. At the same time, recommendations would come from a body whose priority is rail service, not highways. It would also shift responsibility for drafting a regional rail plan to the Commission. Until now, the Commission has been limited to planning one high-speed rail corridor between East St. Louis and Chicago.

The proposed change is mainly a response to opposition from the private railroads. They own much of the property where trains operate, or would operate. Those companies say a law setting passenger rail frequencies would be too rigid. They also say it could disrupt freight operations.

Passenger Rail Planning Act and service frequency

The Passenger Rail Planning Act was introduced in response to the limits of routes with only two round trips a day. According to the argument behind the bill, that level of service cannot attract enough riders to offset the cost of creating it. A schedule like that, the proposal contends, remains a money-losing model. It also reaches only a small share of the potential market. That market could be larger if trains ran every hour or every two hours.

For travelers, waiting time is part of the total trip. The bill is intended to make high-frequency passenger rail service part of planning from the beginning.

If the amendment is adopted, the High Speed Rail Commission would be modified, extended, and renamed. It would then take responsibility for drafting a regional rail plan to submit to IDOT.

For example, one argument in favor of the change is transparency. The Commission meets in public every month. People can attend meetings or watch on Zoom. They can also send comments either orally or in writing. Official documents assigned to Commission members as “homework” are also available to the public. IDOT does not hold a comparable monthly meeting.

In addition, those meetings give supporters a place to say they want hourly trains to Champaign, East St. Louis, or Rockford. They also offer a place to support service every two hours to Moline and Peoria. Members of the General Assembly would see that backing more clearly. They would not see it the same way in closed staff-level conversations at IDOT headquarters. The expectation is that lawmakers would then recognize passenger rail as an issue that can win votes.

Illinois High Speed Rail Commission routes and role

Meanwhile, the article also notes that IDOT is primarily a highway agency. It operates and maintains 15,895 miles of highways and 7,847 bridges across Illinois. Because most passenger rail runs on privately owned property, it is often an afterthought. In that view, IDOT would benefit from receiving recommendations from the Commission.

Commission membership and oversight

The existing Commission is already involved in passenger rail planning. It is chaired by James M. Derwinski, head of Metra, the Chicago-area commuter and regional rail operator. The article describes Metra as one of the country’s best public railroads. Tim Butler, president of the Illinois Railroad Association, serves as vice chairman. The membership also includes representatives of relevant labor unions and metropolitan planning organizations. It also includes High Speed Rail Alliance Executive Director Rick Harnish. The article presents that mix as experienced, representative, and capable.

Under this approach, the frequency of service on each corridor would be considered in public. Each route would be debated separately. Different corridors, the article says, will require different solutions. In some cases, more passenger trains might fit onto freight corridors. In others, new track on existing right of way might be needed. Some corridors could require an entirely new passenger-dedicated right of way.

Separately, the Commission itself would remain advisory. IDOT would still have approval authority. Elected officials would still make the final decisions on spending billions on engineering and construction.

Routes under review

The Chicago regional rail routes and other corridors the Commission would study are listed below. The Commission would make recommendations on service, frequency, or both.

• Chicago to Milwaukee and Green Bay
• Chicago to Janesville, Madison and St. Paul
• Chicago to Rockford and East Dubuque
• Chicago to Normal and Springfield
• Chicago to Detroit and Toronto
• Chicago to Cleveland, Buffalo and Boston
• Chicago to Fort Wayne, Columbus, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia
• Chicago to Indianapolis to Cincinnati
• Chicago to Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville and Atlanta
• Chicago to Champaign, Carbondale and Memphis
• Champaign to Decatur and Springfield
• Springfield to East St. Louis, St. Louis and Kansas City
• Chicago to Moline, Des Moines, Omaha and Denver
• Chicago to Peoria
• Chicago to Galesburg, Quincy and Hannibal
• Carbondale to East St. Louis

Those corridors run beyond Illinois. The article says that leaves the Commission better positioned than the state transportation department. It can meet with and hear from representatives of multiple states.

The original bill was recommended for passage by the Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday. The amendment is expected to go before the Committee in the next few weeks. That depends on agreement on wording among stakeholders including IDOT, Metra, and the host railroads.

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