IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Iowa City City Council has approved the purchase of three residential properties for the site of a possible Amtrak station, the Daily Iowan newspaper reports.
The three parcels are being purchased for $475,000.
They would provide the location for a station should Amtrak launch a long-discussed Chicago-Quad Cities passenger service, then extend it to Iowa City, as envisioned in its “Connects US” plan for new and expanded corridor service. The Iowa City route is one of those highlighted on the Connects US website.
Even if the Amtrak route does not come to fruition, City Manager Geoff Fruin said the land could provide the ability for the city to expand the adjacent Oak Grove Park.
Years ago when Amtrak tried to go into the freight business and there was a proposal to provide service to Iowa City, I remember being told by a railroader it would take a train longer to get through the Quad Cities than it would just to bus passengers from Rock Island to Iowa City.
With the Service being on the Iowa Interstate Railroad you wouldn’t have Congestion Issues
According to the attached article, this is in a dead-end residential area, seemingly close to nothing. The old Rock Island depot is only 5 blocks away, why would you not just restore it?
Amtrak prefers newer terminals that have adequate handicap ramps, handicap and gender neutral bathroom abilities and cost less to maintain, heat and cool. And if the volume warrants it, room to lease to retail tenants.
Yes, I think the State of Iowa bailed out of the two-state partnership (Iowa/Illinois) to fund this service and I’m not sure the State of Illinois has its act together to get the Illinois portion of this proposed service up and running, esp. given Mr. Dahlsten’s point noted above.
Then of course, there is question of the broken, dysfunctional, and inept current condition of our national-passenger rail carrier otherwise known as Amtrak ….
Don’t hold your breath on passenger service to Iowa City.
The State of Illinois has been promising a train to Moline for over 30 years. That remains a promise. The State of Iowa is in no mood to support another 50 or so miles to Iowa City.
The feds providing funding beyond just a promise remains to be seen.
Yes Amtrak needed to expand expand expand expand. Except for this inconvenient fact: All Amtrak knows is to contract contract contract contract.
Not as bad as VIA Rail for sure, which is a skeleton of its former self, but Amtrak has dropped more than a few former routes. Detroit to Buffalo via Canada. Detroit to Toledo. Pittsburg to St. Louis via Columbus and Indianapolis. Port Huron (Michigan) to Toronto. The former Northern Pacific route in the Northwest. Denver to Seattle, Denver to Los Angeles, Chicago to Florida, New Orleans to Orlando.
Kansas city, CHI, DTW, CLE amd all ohio river valley cities all to Florida too slow. As well NOL – JAX. Tied up too much equipment.
It is nearly a half century too late for this University of Iowa alumni. If this project fails, the former Rock Island station that hosted the Chicago – Denver/Colorado Springs streamliner ‘Rocky Mountain Rocket’ should be available south of the Johnson County Court House in Downtown Iowa City.