MONROE - A movement is chugging along in northern Illinois to re-establish a high-speed rail line to connect Dubuque, Iowa, to Chicago. It's a move that, in the long run according to some, might be useful to Green County residents.
A mothballed train line in 1983 could be up and running again possibly in a few years, called the Amtrak Blackhawk Express. Two main groups, the Northwest Illinois Blackhawk Express, formed this year, and Blackhawk Area Rail Coalition, established in 2006, are pressing Illinois and federal legislators to fund and help build the line, according to Tom Rygh, a Woodford resident and member of the Blackhawk Area Rail Coalition.
The route plan is not finalized, but financing options have been explored, Rygh said. The federal government, as part of the stimulus package, has set aside billions for high-speed rail projects across the country, like Blackhawk and the proposed line from Madison to Milwaukee. And, Illinois has set aside money for rail projects in the state in a recently passed capital bill, according to the Blackhawk Area Rail Coalition's Web site.
While the route would not come in to Wisconsin, having a better alternative than driving over an hour to Harvard, Ill., and catching a Metra train to Chicago would be useful option for Green County area residents, Rygh said.
"I just think both cities, Freeport and Monroe, would have so much to gain," he said.
There are two proposed routes from Dubuque to Chicago. The initial route would span from Dubuque to Galena, Freeport, Rockford and to Chicago, according to the Blackhawk coalition Web site. A feasibility study was completed in 2007 for the line to run on a current Canadian National rail line.
Groups from Rockford issued a formal request this year for a change in the route that would see the train line go through Belvidere rather than Genoa. A feasibility study still is being performed and is expected to be completed this year, according to the coalition. This line would be carried on a Union Pacific easement.
The 2007 feasibility study showed that the initial route plan would cost about $34 million in startup costs, and carry about 74,000 passengers a year. The Belvidere line would cost about $43 million and carry about 53,000 riders per year, Rygh said.
The next step for the rail line would be for a draft environmental assessment to be performed by the Federal Transit Administration, which is expected to be completed late this year, according to the Web site of the Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative, which another group of supporters organized to promote commuter rail in Illinois.
At that point the Transit Administration will have a public comment period and public meeting to gauge interest in the viability of the project before approving advancing to a final, more in-depth environmental assessment, according to the Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative.
Amtrak, state and federal legislators appear to be in support of the plan, according to the Blackhawk coalition.
In May, Janet Fisher, Hanover, Ill., and co-chair of the Blackhawk coalition attended a hearing by the Illinois Rail Safety Committee of the state legislature. Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman, Amtrak Board Chairman Tom Carper and Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey addressed the committee.
Boardman envisioned all Amtrak routes in the country, which would include Blackhawk, would make about two to three round trips per day, according the Blackhawk coalition Web site.
Three committee members discussed the Blackhawk line at the hearing, including Chairman state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-57th, of Northbrook, Ill., who said it would be nice to complete the project by Nov. 2011, according to the Blackhawk coalition.
Also, Sept. 16, the Northwest Illinois Blackhawk group mailed a petition with 11,188 signatures from individuals, and 250 from businesses in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.
The Blackhawk coalition is made up of members from the Tri-State Alliance, which is a regional economic development group in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.
The Green County Development Corporation, which is a member of the Tri-State Alliance, has not delved too much into the specifics of the Amtrak Blackhawk line, but Director Anna Schramke said the line could, in time, be a benefit for Green County residents. Especially if at some point a line was connected into Green County.
Immediately, the Blackhawk line would not have a significant economic impact, but would allow anyone who values public transportation easier access than driving to Harvard to take the Metra train, she said.
There is one hindrance to any rail project, such as an old Amtrak line out of Janesville which shut down over five years ago - the startup cost versus long-term profitability. Train lines can work, but there must be some type of mixed-use with a freight line as opposed to building a commuter-only line.
"It definitely doesn't come with a clear black and white image when looking at a rail corridor," Schramke said.
A mothballed train line in 1983 could be up and running again possibly in a few years, called the Amtrak Blackhawk Express. Two main groups, the Northwest Illinois Blackhawk Express, formed this year, and Blackhawk Area Rail Coalition, established in 2006, are pressing Illinois and federal legislators to fund and help build the line, according to Tom Rygh, a Woodford resident and member of the Blackhawk Area Rail Coalition.
The route plan is not finalized, but financing options have been explored, Rygh said. The federal government, as part of the stimulus package, has set aside billions for high-speed rail projects across the country, like Blackhawk and the proposed line from Madison to Milwaukee. And, Illinois has set aside money for rail projects in the state in a recently passed capital bill, according to the Blackhawk Area Rail Coalition's Web site.
While the route would not come in to Wisconsin, having a better alternative than driving over an hour to Harvard, Ill., and catching a Metra train to Chicago would be useful option for Green County area residents, Rygh said.
"I just think both cities, Freeport and Monroe, would have so much to gain," he said.
There are two proposed routes from Dubuque to Chicago. The initial route would span from Dubuque to Galena, Freeport, Rockford and to Chicago, according to the Blackhawk coalition Web site. A feasibility study was completed in 2007 for the line to run on a current Canadian National rail line.
Groups from Rockford issued a formal request this year for a change in the route that would see the train line go through Belvidere rather than Genoa. A feasibility study still is being performed and is expected to be completed this year, according to the coalition. This line would be carried on a Union Pacific easement.
The 2007 feasibility study showed that the initial route plan would cost about $34 million in startup costs, and carry about 74,000 passengers a year. The Belvidere line would cost about $43 million and carry about 53,000 riders per year, Rygh said.
The next step for the rail line would be for a draft environmental assessment to be performed by the Federal Transit Administration, which is expected to be completed late this year, according to the Web site of the Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative, which another group of supporters organized to promote commuter rail in Illinois.
At that point the Transit Administration will have a public comment period and public meeting to gauge interest in the viability of the project before approving advancing to a final, more in-depth environmental assessment, according to the Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative.
Amtrak, state and federal legislators appear to be in support of the plan, according to the Blackhawk coalition.
In May, Janet Fisher, Hanover, Ill., and co-chair of the Blackhawk coalition attended a hearing by the Illinois Rail Safety Committee of the state legislature. Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman, Amtrak Board Chairman Tom Carper and Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey addressed the committee.
Boardman envisioned all Amtrak routes in the country, which would include Blackhawk, would make about two to three round trips per day, according the Blackhawk coalition Web site.
Three committee members discussed the Blackhawk line at the hearing, including Chairman state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-57th, of Northbrook, Ill., who said it would be nice to complete the project by Nov. 2011, according to the Blackhawk coalition.
Also, Sept. 16, the Northwest Illinois Blackhawk group mailed a petition with 11,188 signatures from individuals, and 250 from businesses in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.
The Blackhawk coalition is made up of members from the Tri-State Alliance, which is a regional economic development group in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.
The Green County Development Corporation, which is a member of the Tri-State Alliance, has not delved too much into the specifics of the Amtrak Blackhawk line, but Director Anna Schramke said the line could, in time, be a benefit for Green County residents. Especially if at some point a line was connected into Green County.
Immediately, the Blackhawk line would not have a significant economic impact, but would allow anyone who values public transportation easier access than driving to Harvard to take the Metra train, she said.
There is one hindrance to any rail project, such as an old Amtrak line out of Janesville which shut down over five years ago - the startup cost versus long-term profitability. Train lines can work, but there must be some type of mixed-use with a freight line as opposed to building a commuter-only line.
"It definitely doesn't come with a clear black and white image when looking at a rail corridor," Schramke said.