WAUKEGAN, Ill. — Support is building for a Canadian National double-track project in Northern Illinois, with the Lake County Board joining Metra and three communities in endorsing the plan.
The Daily Herald reports the proposal to add 2.2 miles of second track between Round Lake Beach and Grayslake, on a CN line shared with Metra’s North Central Service, is in CN’s 10-year plan but could happen sooner with community support.
The communities of Antoich, Round Lake Beach, and Grayslake have previously indicated their support for the project. In Graylake, slow or stopped trains have been an issue at the village’s five grade crossings.
In a letter to the county board, Metra CEO Jim Derwinski said the commuter rail operator “strongly supports” the double-track project, which would decrease issues with freight-train interference, increase operational fluidity, and lessen delays at grade crossings. Infrastructure limitations have prevented Metra from exploring increased reverse-commute service — which Metra has been instituting on other lines — and the project is “a necessary step” toward possible service expansion.
CN previously experienced community opposition to another double-track project near Elgin, Ill. [see “CN’s plan to double-track former EJ&E …,” Trains News Wire, May 31, 2019]. That 4-mile addition eventually won federal approval [see “CN gets approval for double-tracking …,” News Wire, July 1, 2020].
It would help to use the OLD names for lines in your stories! Particularly in places like Chicago with frequent renamings. Turns out this line is the old Wisconsin Central/Soo Line which for mileage collectors had only ONE train on weekdays that you could ride out and back onthe same day as of 2005–when I realized that with only 25minutestospare! The Chicago & Alton/GM&O got renamed; Lord knows what the North Western is called these days. What with its being kicked off the streets of Michigan City the South Shore Line is no longer an interurban but just another strange branch off the Illinois Central.
It’s always interesting to see the difference in the various suburbs of Chicago. In Grayslake, its all cool to add more track, but over near Techny and Glenview its the devil.
Then CPKC wants to add more trains to the former MILW West line and you would think the area had been struck by an earthquake by asking for billions in aid.
Same metro area, totally different attitudes.