CHICAGO – More than $19 million in federal transportation funding has been awarded to the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program’s Dolton Junction Interlocking project in Dolton and Riverdale.
The project is intended to help ease rail congestion in the south suburbs and far south side of Chicago. The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant program,
which is distributing $326 million in 2019.
According to the application, the grant represents 50 percent of the cost of construction. The remaining 50 percent will be funded by contributions from the Illinois Department of Transportation (22 percent) and the CREATE partner railroads (28 percent). An additional $4.4 million has already been committed or spent for engineering and right-of-way acquisition, bringing the project’s total cost to nearly $43 million
According to CREATE, the Dolton Interlocking is the location where CSX Transportation, Indiana Harbor Belt and Union Pacific rail lines cross. The project location extends from 136th Place in Riverdale on the north to Monroe Street in Dolton on the south, and from Eggleston Avenue on the west to Center Street on the east.
The interlocking sees 125 freight trains from UP, CSX, IHB, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian National per day and six Amtrak trains per week, the tri-weekly Cardinal. (The four-times-per-week Amtrak Hoosier State is expected to cease operation in June 2019.)
The project will upgrade and reconfigure the CSX, IHB, and UP connections, including the replacement of a north-south connection between the IHB and CSX. It will also construct a third main line with direct access from CSX and Barr Yard to the UP main line. Crossovers between two main IHB tracks will be constructed. The connection between IHB and UP will be upgraded. The Dolton tower will also be automated for remote control.
CREATE says the project will increase freight train speeds for multiple routes from 15 mph to 30 mph, including routes accessing CSX Barr Yard, UP Yard Center, UP Dolton Intermodal Yard, a CSX main line, and all mainline connections between IHB, CSX, and UP. The increased speeds will enable this location to handle increased freight train throughput. Due to increased freight train speeds the potential for delay to Amtrak trains will be reduced.
Final project specifications and estimates are being developed, according to CREATE.
The Association of American Railroads views the grant award and pending working positively. “The AAR commends all stakeholders involved in this grant process for moving the ball forward on yet-another aspect of the CREATE program, an exemplary public-private partnership increasing fluidity throughout the Chicago region for both freight customers and rail passengers. This includes the USDOT, the Illinois Congressional delegation, IDOT, other local partners and Amtrak, as well as privately owned freight railroads for continuing to deliver the private capital needed to move CREATE projects like this forward,” says AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “By updating the interlocking system at this busy rail corridor, railroads will be able to move more efficiently through the area, which will bolster safety and lessen driver and pedestrian disruptions.”
CREATE is a partnership that includes U.S. Department of Transportation, State of Illinois, Cook County, City of Chicago, Metra, Amtrak, and the nation’s freight railroads. It is intended to eliminate freight rail and motor vehicle bottlenecks and improve the overall safety and environment of the region.
–This story was edited June 13 to add comments from the Association of American Railroads.
Just from the satellite photos, it looks like there is space for a UP double-track flyover. I believe it would cost less to do it now than in the future, if it could be done then.
Charles Landey
While the cost would be greater. The payoff would be no conflict between movements. Even without Amtrak/Metra. A flyover allows unrestricted flow for the 125 movements through the plant. Decreasing congestion and transit time.
Braden, I had the same thought but without passenger trains the expense of a flyover seems much less necessary.
The PD is located at the southeast corner of the interlocking. Just stay away from the diamonds, those days are over.
Grade separation of the UP would be nice. Flyover the IHB and CSX..
Joel. Where is the police station in relationship to the photo in the article?
Dennis Bolsega,
Unless they edited the article it says 125 freight trains per day and 6 Amtrak trains per week.
I travelled to Chicago with my late rail friend, Dave, who lived in the Chicago area, this was one of our favorite spots to railfan, lots of action, never any trouble and felt perfectly safe.
The former Pennsy Panhandle tower has been gone for over a year now. Dolton is a great place to railfan, perfectly safe, you can watch almost all the traffic from the police station parking lot. Been going there since 1983. Visit Dolton in the morning and Blue Island Jct. in the afternoon for maximum coverage. Stay off the tracks and enjoy.
Paragraph four not clear. 125 freight trains a week? Or do they mean to say per day?
Here’s some notes for those South-siders or Hoosiers who want to watch the action there.
Note the tower in the Southwest quadrant, which I once read in TRAINS-MAG is askew because was on the alignment of the (long-abandoned) PRR “Panhandle” route. Parking is available near the Southeast quadrant for all us trespassers. The area is a long walk from Riverdale Station on the Metra Electric, which is to the Northwest.
The lack of passenger trains makes this a must-miss for many railfans. Also missing are the amenities found at many Metra stops as there is no Metra. Also like many non-Metra locations the best spots all are on railroad property, public not allowed.
For those railfans (there are some) intimidated by lower-income minority neighborhoods, don’t go.
All in all, not my favorite place to watch trains. I’ve only been there twice, neither time in recent decades since I learned not to trespass.There are plenty of hot spots much better (and with passenger trains) much closer to my Wisconsin home.