Illiana Rail Bypass Concept

A Railroad for the 21st Century

Presentation to Chicago Chapter Transportation Research Forum May 29, 2013

Introduction
Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir mens blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die.
Daniel Hudson Burnham Creator of the original Illiana
Multimodal Bypass Concept.
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2012 Illinois State Rail Plan says

The rail lines built more than a century ago were not configured for the volumes and types of freight being carried currently, and Chicago has become the largest U.S. rail freight chokepoint.
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The Wrigley Field Syndrome

21st Century Trains on 19th Century ROWs

Belt Railway Company of Chicago (red): 1883

Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad (blue): 1897 PCC&StL Western Ave. Corridor (purple): 1869

B&OCT Western Ave. Corridor (purple): 1887

PFtW&C-PRR Main Line (yellow): 1859
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The Illiana Rail Bypass Concept

1. Provide a modern state-of-the art freight rail bypass route around the Chicago metropolitan region. 2. Create a massive rail-based regional economic development opportunity across Illinois and Indiana.
3. Deliver a proactive solution for the regions multitude of rail infrastructure congestion issues.
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Illiana Belt Railroad Phase I

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Yes We Can!

In December 2008 CMAP Executive Director Randy Blankenhorn wrote,

As with our highway system, CMAP recognizes that the region cannot build its way out of (rail) congestion..

Yes We Can! With completion of the Illiana Rail Bypass Route the Chicago region can build its way out of current (and future) rail congestion problems.
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In Support of the Bypass Concept

As a fifth term alderman (4th Ward), I understand all too well the negative impact of freight train congestion in Chicago. Many south side communities have long borne the brunt of pollution, traffic delays and safety concerns created by freight congestion.
While my primary focus may be on the positive impact of fewer trains in the communities I serve, I fully recognize that the entire region and nation will benefit from the smoother flow and expedited transport of freight through the Midwest.

Then-alderman Toni Preckwinkle, June 2008

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The Illiana Rail Bypass Solution

Transforming Transportation for Tomorrow

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Illiana Route Across Illinois

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Chicago Terminal vs. Illiana Railroad

FRA Class 2 3
Top Speed = 40 mph Average = 10-20 mph Interlockings: 15 between Elwood and Portage (Indiana). Grade crossings: 50+

FRA Class 4
Top Speed = 60 mph Average = 40 mph Interlockings: None between Coal City and Wellsboro (Indiana). Grade crossings: None

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Chicago Terminal vs. Illiana Railroad

Transit time = 8-12 hrs. across the terminal*.

Limited sites open to reciprocal switching. All UPRR mainline corridors under restricted access. Require CMAQ grants for new environmentally friendly locomotives.

Transit time = 2.25 hrs. across the terminal (25 miles shorter). 100% open access; no captive shippers.
No restricted access main lines on Illiana. New environmentally friendly locomotives (Tier 4) will be self-funded.
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Chicago Terminal vs. Illiana Railroad

Multiple owners, 20-plus dispatch centers (not always in Chicago). Metra curfews, multiple Amtrak intercity routes.
Most routes have 286,000lb. GWR limit.

Single owner, single dispatch center locally based. Main lines are freight only.
Illiana main line constructed with 315,000lb. GWR limit.

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Chicago Terminal vs. Illiana Railroad

Requires an additional $2 billion of free public money (sources unknown) to complete CREATE.
Original route laid out in the 1880s; no room for expansion today. Overloaded and outdated per IDOT.

Combination of private infrastructure funds and USDOT loan programs already in existence (i.e. no public money).
Original route laid out in 2013; 25-foot track centers. A Railroad for the 21st Century.
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Key Illiana Operational Benefits

An alternate route for the more than 25% of Chicago area rail traffic that does not originate or terminate in the region.
Stakeholder outreach revealed that municipalities would like freight rail not terminating in the region to bypass the region as much as possible, CMAP GOTO 2040 Regional Plan.
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Hazardous Materials Unit Trains

The NTSB has stated, Unit trains that carry hazardous materials present a special risk because of the high concentration of hazardous materials.
Should there be a less risky, more competitive route around Chicago?

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CDOT Endorses Illiana Concept

Freight Rail Futures goals were to:

Increase the efficiency of freight movement in the City. Improve the city's economic development opportunities. Support redevelopment of urban neighborhoods.

City of Chicago Department of Transportation, November 2003.

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CDOT Rationalization Scenario

The premise.is that the railroads and government agencies, faced with worsening rail congestion in the Chicago area, seek to improve the fluidity of the regions through traffic with investment in high-capacity rail bypass corridors.
High capacity railroad corridors to divert through traffic and to improve fluidity of local traffic was assumed to provide significant increased capacity for service to shippers located in the region.

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Study Findings on a Bypass Route

Using the conclusions in the Critical Cargo Study, and the input from several railroad executives, we assumed that at a minimum, about 100-miles of high-capacity grade separated corridor or corridors would be required to support Chicagos anticipated traffic growth.
Suffice it to say that there is not a consensus on which route or combination of routes provides the best solution to Chicagos transportation needs. Absent a sponsoring agency and well funded study (as was the case in the Alameda Corridor) carriers are focusing their efforts on maintaining the efficiency of the current route network.
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Conclusions & Recommendations

Rationalization of the rail freight system would increase the citys Gross Regional Product (GRP) by more than $1 billion per year by the year 2020 and provide more than 8,000 additional jobs.
Redevelopment of land freed up by rationalization would more than double these benefits.

While rationalization forfeits rail facilities in the city (many of them redundant), the service improvements under rationalization would actually attract business growth to Chicago.
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Northwest Indiana Rail Tsunami

Virtually all rail freight coming from East Coast to Chicago must squeeze through a NW Indiana rail corridor with six mainline tracks, myriad rail connections and more than 864 at-grade highway crossings.
Illiana Rail Bypass will provide significant amount of mitigation and congestion relief for Northwest Indianas Rail Tsunami problem.
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The CREATE Script (circa 2011)

Even building all of CREATE (including the passenger projects) by itself will not suffice in the long run.

It now also seems likely that, in planning for the long term, something more than what is now contained in the CREATE Script may be needed.
Given the competing demand for track capacity now expected from growing passenger services, it is likely that new projects, not now on the list will be needed. If all CREATE projects built, freight delay minutes are still projected to increase 65% in 20 years
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Doubling Rail Freight by 2035

LOS Grade F

UP Geneva Sub CSX Garrett Sub NS Chicago Line

LOS Grade E

BNSF Chillicothe Sub UP Villa Grove Sub

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The Future of Crude Oil Logistics

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The Importance of Rail

If you have rail, you have a scarce resource. If you have dual rail service sites, you have a crown jewel resource.
Mark Sweeney (McCallum Sweeney Consulting) at 2004 International Economic Development Council Site Selectors Panel.

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Existing Development Obstacles

The Chicago Metropolis 2020 Freight Plan Technical Report Conclusions

There is a limited supply of well placed industrial land in the region. There are very few locations in the six county region where large tracts are available on major rail lines and close to interstate expressways. Preferred industrial sites with both road and rail accessare relatively rare in the Chicago region.

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The 90-mile Linear Industrial Park

More than 50,000 acres of rail-served developable land along proposed route;

Equals one-third the land mass of the City of Chicago.

Provides opportunity for development of multiple 1,000-acre Megasites. The Rochelle Syndrome on steroids.

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Rail-Based Tourism Development

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Building Blocks for Metra

Assist with local match for financing MED extension to Peotone and Kankakee.
Construct new MED station and servicing yard at South Suburban Airport industrial park. SouthEast Service Crete to Beecher ROW.

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Collateral Benefits

Financial support for NICTD West Lake Extension to Dyer and Lowell, Indiana via ex-Monon Route.
South Shore Freight Connection at Burnham, Illinois and access to Port of Chicago.
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HSR Amtrak Benefits

Alternate main line route for UP St. Louis to Chicago (Joliet) intermodal trains.
Preservation of Chicago to Indianapolis HSR route. Amtrak Chicago to Toledo, Cleveland.
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Alternative Regional Bypass Routes

NYC-NS Kankakee Belt

Manual block single track. Few sidings. Closed access, ownership. Poor eastern connections.

G&Ws TP&W Line

Manual block single track. Poor overall condition. Poor eastern connections.
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Illiana Corridor Financing Strategy

RRIF Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Finance TIFIA Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Private Activity Bonds (IL Finance Authority) Private Infrastructure Funds
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Supported by GOTO 2040

The region will need to be proactive in terms of planning for changes in terms of freight travel patterns and global market dynamics. The resiliency of the freight system will be enhanced by, sufficient right of way and corridor protection for freight systems; preserving and enhancing multimodal transportation options; and providing operational flexibility.
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CMAP GOTO 2040

By proactively planning for resiliency in the freight system, the region can substantially benefit by making the region ready-to-go for economic development opportunities that require global access or a central location for Midwest and national markets.
(Current Market Conditions - Addressing Market Dynamics, GOTO 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan, Chapter 12.2, page 311.)
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What Comes Next???

Chicago DOT and Reebie Associates made the case for the Illiana Rail Bypass plan in Freight Rail Futures for the City of Chicago (November 2003).
The Illiana Rail Bypass Concept represents the opportunity of a generation, perhaps of our lifetime.
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