Rumors are already swirling about specific traffic shifts and operations changes, but the only definite details available come from a May 2 UP notice announcing Intermodal re-shuffling.
Specifically, railroad officials say they’ve sought to “simplify” Chicago intermodal operations by idling Global 3 intermodal ramp early this month with the Canal Street Container Depot following shortly thereafter.
The railroad’s news release says that intermodal operations will consolidate around Global 2, which is expected to handle U.S. cargo; Global 4 will handle mostly international freight; while Yard Center will handle auto parts.
“While these changes to the Chicago intermodal complex allow us to streamline operations and offer faster loading and unloading of containers, they will also result in benefits to our customers,” according to the release.
A source familiar with Chicago railroading also tells Trains that Union Pacific has plans to idle the hump at Proviso Yard and may have stopped operations completely as of Monday.
A Union Pacific representative tells Trains the only publicly available information is contained in the May 2 news release online.
Closing G1 makes some sense (cramped terminal, hard to get long trains in and out without reducing capacity in the Western Avenue rail corridor, and unattractive crosstown and O/D drays up and down Western Ave), and can’t happen until more capacity at G2 is built out. Steel wheel interchange to NS or CSX ramps not really negatively impacted from G2 rather than G1.
Still a little surprised that G4 is gonna be international solely, as it’s best located for a short dray to the Will County distribution center concentration, which is an attractive destination for domestic boxes crossdocked from imports in the LA Inland Empire.
As for closing the Proviso hump I suppose the Chicagoland and Wisconsin/Minnesota carload traffic is now low enough volume to be flat switched (the Wisconsin/Minnesota frac sand can either run via KC or be preblocked in long cuts if best routed via Chicago).
Don’t shoot the messenger! I didn’t post anything that wasn’t already posted by Mr. Davidson. Since Mr. Kaspar and Mr. Bauer have issues with this, please direct your complaints to the following link:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwdavidson/48100646832/
Thank you,
Chris
Mark, I’m not trying to make a big deal about this. I didn’t post anybody’s picture here and I didn’t quote anybody’s titles and / or captions. I simply passed along information learned in my own writing and provided a source as a simple courtesy to that person. Let’s just leave it at that and move on.
Chris
From ‘someone’s’ Flickr account info page: “Unless otherwise noted, all photos posted herein were taken by me & I reserve all rights. Use or reproduction of same is expressly prohibited unless I grant permission.” You can argue otherwise, but most photographers would include their titles & captions as a package deal along with their images.
Bang! Zoom! Right over your head, Christopher! https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tact
I’ll have to ask Doug if you had his permission to post that. I see one thing in there already that is incorrect.
I’m going to pass along a few notes that I just picked up from the Flickr account of D.W. Davidson, a retired engineer who used to work for Metra, UP & CNW (out of Proviso)
* Proviso hump will close effective July 7 (after 90 years of service)
* Global II (Proviso) facilities will be significantly increased in size
* Proviso receiving & departure yards will be flipped – County Line will become the receiving yard / Yard 9 will become the departure yard
* Global I in Chicago will be closing at the end of next year
The comments from Mr. Davidson, a former employee, are usually very reliable.
Chris
Christopher – first, Doug isn’t retired, he’s merely taken a position with the BLET at the international HQ outside Cleveland. Secondly, the UP frowns upon employees speaking on their behalf on social media or otherwise. Perhaps you could use vague words such as ‘allegedly’ or ‘supposedly’ to disconnect Doug from your post.
So the Butler and Minnesota traffic is gonna originate out of Clearing now? Or will the easterns still have Proviso bound traffic flat switched there?
“Much of the manifest traffic that flows through Proviso anymore seems to be “cross-flow” between Elkhart and North Platte”
Given that statement, it would seem we would have more trains running to and from Elkhart other than the one train each way we have right now.
I agree, Branden. Much of the manifest traffic that flows through Proviso anymore seems to be “cross-flow” between Elkhart and North Platte (though there is some other traffic moves in/out of the yard.) G2 could benefit from the hump closing since UP has other hump yards that can process cars more effectively.
(But that’s just my thoughts)
@Steven Bauer
What’s the symbol these days for North Platte-Elkhart Manifest?
This will benefit UP. I’d even go as far to remove the hump at Proviso, move block swapping out to Rochelle. Expand capacity at G2.