Canadian National has opened a new 4-mile stretch of double track on its former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Chicago bypass route.
The track, between Sutton and Spaulding, Ill., has increased velocity through the area by 30%, Patrick Whitehead, the railway’s executive vice president of network operations, said in a post on LinkedIn.
The 17% in capacity makes “travel smoother and more reliable for our customers and neighbors, especially during passenger rush hours,” Whitehead wrote. The new track was placed in service last month.
“Beyond proud of the incredible cross-functional collaboration of our teams to make this happen. Talk about starting 2025 on the right track,” Whitehead wrote.
The project involved grading, signal work, and a bridge expansion.
“Bonus fun fact: movie buffs may recognize the Poplar Creek bridge extension pictured here from the final scenes of 1993’s Dennis the Menace, a family favorite,” Whitehead wrote.
The former EJ&E forms a congestion free-route around Chicago and laces together CN’s former Wisconsin Central, Illinois Central, and Grand Trunk Western main lines that radiate out of Chicago to Western Canada, Eastern Canada, the Gulf Coast, and Iowa.
4 miles of 2 main tracks. Does that section not have any grade crossings. Be a great place for CN to park 1or 2 trains on one track indefinitely. Now will trains on the north and south single track portions leading to the 2 main tracks have to stop and wait as congestion prevails on the 2 main tracks?
Neat picture, but then confusing. The partial train on right would light up a red signal as occupied track dictates that. Whereas the loco on the left is looking at RED. At first I thought it was an oncoming loco and not a red signal. By chance at this location is this the START of the double track and train on right has not cleared the single main, YET. When he does clear the main, the left loco will then see green? endmrw0113251622
That signal on the left looks like it might be a yellow over red signal, comparing it to the red signal on the right. In which case the approaching train can still advance, just at a a slower speed. Alternately, it is actually red because there’s another train on the main ahead of it out of the camera’s view.
I think that by 1993 I’d outgrown Dennis the Menace. I turned 67 that year. Never heard of the movie.
Now will the NIMBYs who opposed this capacity improvement admit they were completely wrong??????
Probably not.
Wow! Two three mile long freights can now pass one another! Talk about impressive CapEx!
CN only crosses 1 commuter rail line in this upgrade and that is the CPKC/Metra line at Spaulding. I know they (CN) have been bellyaching about Spaulding and didnt get what they wanted with arbitration. So I guess they finally just broke down and spent the money. Surprised they didn’t elevate the crossing to avoid even more conflicts.
They cross UP Geneva Sub at grade in West Chicago, but are bridged over BNSF Aurora Sub at Eola Yard.
A map would be nice – and informative.