SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced a $10.1 million project to improve rail operations in Mitchell, Ill., northeast of St. Louis.
The project will reconfigure rail lines and replace a 97-year-old interlocking tower, with funding from six sources: $5.1 million from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvments (CRISI) program; $2 million from Union Pacific; $1.3 from IDOT; $1 million from Amtrak; $440,000 from BNSF Railway, and $300,000 from Kansas City Southern.
“Metro East [the area including Illinois suburbs of St. Louis] is one of the country’s critical freight and travel hubs. These improvements will improve quality of life and make the area an even more attractive location for business activity for years to come,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said in a press release. “We are especially proud of the teamwork between IDOT, the FRA and our rail partners to find a solution that positively impacts multiple modes of transportation.”
The project near Mitchell, Ill., northeast of St. Louis, will streamline an area where four lines intersect and sees up to 35 trains daily, reducing freight delays and decreating travel time for passenger trains. It is scheduled to begin next week and should be completed this fall. It will continue work that began earlier this year when UP’s Lenox Tower was torn down [see “News photos: UP Lenox Tower demolished,” Trains News Wire, May 18, 2021] . Operations at the interlocking had been transferred from the tower to UP dispatchers in Omaha in 2018.
It always warms the heart of ANY Democrat when 49 other states have to pay for something in their state. If this is such a critical project for private companies (Union Pacific, BNSF Railway, and Kansas City Southern) then why do I as a TAXPAYER from the Southeast end up footing the bill for 60.4% of the cost (thru CRISI and Amtrak)?
Blue states consistently receive fewer federal funds than 10-mostly southern-states. And TX and FL enjoy endless free money and assistance for every natural disaster. FEMA et al should never help Harris County (TX) where the non-MENSA crew in the 1960s eliminated zoning so homes could be built anywhere at breakneck speed–including flood plains, valleys, and every low spot imaginable. The handouts should warm the heart of every Texas Republican.
I am trying to figure out who benefits from this “unsnarl”. NS has to go to Granite City anyway to move stuff from the Alton A&E line to the Brooklyn District because they (NW) removed the Illinois Terminal line to Wood River ages ago. UP benefits because they run trains from the Pana Sub, the former CNW Madison through here, and UP also runs a joint with KCS to reach the Alton. Seems to me its to get the other lines out of the way. I wonder how many of the 35 are UP, are NS or KCS? Amtrak also uses this junction for the Chicago-St Louis route. Another question is why does BNSF have to pay? Is it due to their part ownership of TRRA? And what about Alton & Southern?
“Remember too the Koch Brothers underwrite every anti-transit, anti-infrastructure effort and have for years.”
The Koch’s were never anti-transit, they are against the large scale use of fuel and sales tax redirection to prop up transit services. If someone walked up and showed them a transit service privately funded, then they would have applauded it.
I would surmise they were also not anti-infrastructure as their group of companies are very much reliant on the interstate highway system.
Koch brothers (now one) have been strongly and vocally anti-transit. Wishful thinking to believe they’d support any project anywhere.
Some partnership this is. Taxpayers pick up $7 million and the private railroads pick up $3 million.
UP enjoyed its old Alton Line getting a $1 billion upgrade
courtesy of TAXPAYERS and UP has zero problem in putting Amtrak in the hole endless. Thanks UP!
Actually the Republicans controlled Congress for most of Obama’s term in office and Congress controls the purse strings. At the very least their is blame on both sides for not sufficiently funding rail infrastructure. . . Additionally progress was made during the Obama administration on CREATE projects. Things seem to have slowed over the last 3 years even more
Spot on. Mr. Trump’s administration had little interest in ANY blue state public works project. And Jim Crow Mitchy thwarted Mr. Obama repeatedly, suddenly caring about the deficit when projects would aid NY, NJ, CA, OR, IL, WA. But he had no problem in the deficit rising massively with the 2017 TCJA that cut taxes mostly for the obscenely rich.
Remember too the Koch Brothers underwrite every anti-transit, anti-infrastructure effort and have for years.
Maybe after this ILDOT could finally turn its attention one of the rail projects the Obama administration chose to ignore or kick down the road as they did with the Gateway tunnels. I’m referring to the Chicago CREATE 75th Street Corridor initiative that was the obvious follow-on to the Englewood Flyover. Btw, the latter was nearly dumped overboard by the Obama people and it only survived thanks to the strong efforts by rail-minded and now former Democrat IL Congressman William Lipinski Jr.
Actually the Republicans controlled Congress for most of Obama’s term in office and Congress controls the purse strings. At the very least their is blame on both sides for not sufficiently funding rail infrastructure. . . Additionally progress was made during the Obama administration on CREATE projects. Things seem to have slowed over the last 3 years even more
I suppose “decreating” could be a synonym for “decreasing.”