WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is calling for freight railroads to do more to improve Amtrak on-time performance, indicating to Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration his interest in working with the passenger railroad and federal agency on the issue.
Durbin sent letters to Amtrak and the FRA in response to a report from the Amtrak Office of Inspector General report earlier this month on the financial impacts of poor on-time performance [See “Report estimates costs of Amtrak on-time performance woes,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 18, 2019]. That report was issued in response to a Durbin amendment which passed during last year’s appropriations process.
Durbin particularly targeted the Chicago-Carbondale, Ill., Illini/Saluki route, which operates on a Canadian National line, for attention. That line was highlighted in the report because of the high costs in penalty payments to crews resulting from poor on-time performance.
“As a firm supporter of passenger rail, I stand ready to continue working with Amtrak, as well as with the FRA, to push Canadian National to improve Amtrak’s reliability for Illinois riders,” Durbin wrote Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson. “in the letter to Richard Anderson, Amtrak President and CEO. “The people of Illinois deserve better — they deserve assurance that they can arrive at their destination in not only a safe but a timely manner.” The letter to FRA administrator Ron Batory calls for the FRA “to take a more active role in ensuring improvements to Amtrak’s [on-time performance], particularly along its Chicago-Champaign-Carbondale routes.”
A press release from Durbin’s office says the senator continues to hold CN “accountable for repeated freight interference and speed restrictions that have plagued the Illini/Saluki route with some of the worst [on-time performance] in the country.
The complete text of the letter to Amtrak is here; the letter to the FRA is here.
How about Amtrak build their own tracks, that will solve their on-time issues, Amtrak’s long-distance trains have been using freight tracks since their beginning in 1971 but only wants to place blame now? In the 50+ years, they’ve been in service why start complaining now, Like it or not Amtrak has to share its service with the freights, freights and passenger service don’t mix, It’s time Amtrak and the politicians start being realistic and stop whining, either build new passenger tracks or get out of the LD train service and let companies like Brightline or private operators run it.
The railroads are losing business anyway. Maybe new sidings won’t be needed. Why can’t two scheduled railroads run passenger trains on time anyway? This is an example of what is wrong with America.
IC was faced with same problem as ACL, as psgr traffic declined. Many miles of jointed rail to be replaced on a Double Track current of traffic operation. Both roads opted to install welded rail and CTC on just one track. SP did same thing east of Sparks NV. The freight business on those roads runsn OK on a CTC-equipped railroad. Moyers cascaded the replaced rail, and didn’t need to buy new rail for many years – yielding IC’s very low MofW ratio.
My experience with the Carbondale trains is that they routinely run about an hour or so late. Not very impressive.
Nathaniel Richards, you nailed it.
I love when so called policy makers waste so much time and money in telling others to do better instead of undoing the failed policies that got us to where we are. However, I’m not sure the people of Illinois deserve any better if they keep electing clowns like this into office.
JOHN RICE – No argument whatsoever with the proposals to keep the StCAL. My post at 3:00 AM should have been a lot clearer. It is reported that the CITY wants the Airline gone, or at least cleared of trains. Or has so wanted in the past. I didn’t mean to imply that I personally take that position.
Here’s another radical proposal, if anyone has a loose several billion dollars to invest: Use the StCAL to bring Burlington trains into Millenium. Or at least into Van Buren so dual-power (electric and diesel) wouldn’t be needed. Build a stop at Chinatown.
In the best of all worlds with all the connections, METRA and/or AMTRAK trains on the IC route from the south could alternate between CUS and Van Buren; ditto METRA and/or AMTRAK trains from the Burlington.
Thus keeping the StCAL could be Chicago’s version of London’s Crossrail.
Aside from ignoring South Loop NIMBYs, and aside from ignoring the left wing’s insane jihad against fossil fuels, all that would be needed would be fifty years and tens of billions of dollars. Reading this morning’s newspapers Lori Lightfoot is big on raising taxes to the point where anyone walking down the street would be taxed for his shoes, for each footfall on the sidewalk, and the air he breathes in the process. Plus a tax on starting his walk and another tax on ending his walk.
To complete the prior post:
Some transportation proponents have rued the idea of ripping it out because it provides westside rail access to the Soldier Field / Museum Complex. As it stands today, many people will train into CUS/OGT and bus down with CTA. (the Metra Electric has the 18th Street Station right across the street). Some have desired to reduce congestion into Soldier on LSD by using Metra access to the StCAL.
At this point with Illinois being broke, it”s a total luxury.
The StCAL will become an urban trail connecting the Mark Twain urban park with the parks along the South Branch of the Chicago River like the Ping Tom Park.
There is a private proposal to buy the StCAL and use it as a commute ROW for a new multi-story development going in around McCormick Place. The developer is proposing a means to bring Metra down it, but this has been looked at with crossed eyes.
Some transportation proponents have rued the idea of ripping it out because it provides westside access to the Soldier Field / Museum Complex. As it stands today, many people will train into CUS/OGT and bus down with CTA. (the Metra Electric has the 18th Street Station right across the street). Some have desired to reduce congest
BRUCE – I have to wonder if some of that $100 Million is going to the connection at Grand Crossing that should have been done decades ago. This would not only speed up the corridor (and the LD to NOLA) but would allow the long-sought removal of the St. Charles Airline, opening up the ROW for residential development.
Fact is, every ICRR – route Amtrak train several times daily for 48 years of Amtrak has cost both time and money without this connection.
Excess ICRR real estate in Chicago is something out of another century especially after CN bought the “J”.
didn’t EHH remove the 2nd main in the 1990s?
The new Illinois Capital Bill directs $100 Million to the IC, presumably to re-install targeted sections of double track.
A cheaper way to improve performance is to have a FRA man sit with the train dispatcher and do a job study on him and his Superintendent. I bet there be no delays that day unless the crews knew the eye were on the dispatcher. Fire on Superintendent and they get the message of who moves first. If that does not work, build more track at Amtrak cost.
@Brett Reid: CN doesn’t care about much of anything south of Chicago. Illinois is investing millions into HSR on a UP route, so CN plays passive aggressive until it to can get some tax dollars to put into its line.
Having IDOT spend $ on a siding or 2nd main is exactly what CN wants. If Amtrak wants better service, make them pay for it.
Have the State of Illinois pay for a 2nd Main line. That would the easiest way to improve on-time performance. I mean the 2nd Main line, not Illinois paying for it. However what’s the alternative? CN doesn’t seem to be interested in a 2nd Main.
I totally agree. On a recent trip to Washington DC aboard the Capitol Limited, we were only 20 minutes late arriving in DC, but over 90 minutes late in arriving in Chicago. Stabbed for Norfolk Southern freights trying to get into Chicago. And, Norfolk Southern and its rough track in Indiana and Ohio did its best to throw me out of my Superliner Roomette bed going eastbound. I did write to one of my U.S. senators upon retuning back home about the westbound timekeeping (Sen. Tammy Baldwin), but have yet to receive a reply from her.
Strictly speaking the IC isn’t single iron, it’s single-double single-double. Comes out to more or less the same fiasco. Single-double my left carcass, I’ve seen plenty of trains along I-57 parked and going nowhere.
Ironic that CN is fighting for more double iron out on the Canadian prairies and on the “J”, when this same railroad inherited ICRR management responsible for the removal of double iron south of Kankakee.
@ John Rice: I would add that south of Carbondale the CN runs parallel to the Mississippi River to NOLA. It as the IC also served the Port of Mobile, AL., although I believe that that line was spun off. Since the U.S. Government maintains the river, I believe CN wants it to fund a second main line as many have said. All I can say is Good Luck with that thought.
Mr. Jones, EHH may have been at IC already in the 1990s but the man blamed for the single tracking was Ed Moyers.