CHICAGO – More than $19 million in federal transportation funding has been awarded to the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program’s Dolton Junction Interlocking project in Dolton and Riverdale.
The project is intended to help ease rail congestion in the south suburbs and far south side of Chicago. The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant program,
which is distributing $326 million in 2019.
According to the application, the grant represents 50 percent of the cost of construction. The remaining 50 percent will be funded by contributions from the Illinois Department of Transportation (22 percent) and the CREATE partner railroads (28 percent). An additional $4.4 million has already been committed or spent for engineering and right-of-way acquisition, bringing the project’s total cost to nearly $43 million
According to CREATE, the Dolton Interlocking is the location where CSX Transportation, Indiana Harbor Belt and Union Pacific rail lines cross. The project location extends from 136th Place in Riverdale on the north to Monroe Street in Dolton on the south, and from Eggleston Avenue on the west to Center Street on the east.
The interlocking sees 125 freight trains from UP, CSX, IHB, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian National per day and six Amtrak trains per week, the tri-weekly Cardinal. (The four-times-per-week Amtrak Hoosier State is expected to cease operation in June 2019.)
The project will upgrade and reconfigure the CSX, IHB, and UP connections, including the replacement of a north-south connection between the IHB and CSX. It will also construct a third main line with direct access from CSX and Barr Yard to the UP main line. Crossovers between two main IHB tracks will be constructed. The connection between IHB and UP will be upgraded. The Dolton tower will also be automated for remote control.
CREATE says the project will increase freight train speeds for multiple routes from 15 mph to 30 mph, including routes accessing CSX Barr Yard, UP Yard Center, UP Dolton Intermodal Yard, a CSX main line, and all mainline connections between IHB, CSX, and UP. The increased speeds will enable this location to handle increased freight train throughput. Due to increased freight train speeds the potential for delay to Amtrak trains will be reduced.
Final project specifications and estimates are being developed, according to CREATE.
The Association of American Railroads views the grant award and pending working positively. “The AAR commends all stakeholders involved in this grant process for moving the ball forward on yet-another aspect of the CREATE program, an exemplary public-private partnership increasing fluidity throughout the Chicago region for both freight customers and rail passengers. This includes the USDOT, the Illinois Congressional delegation, IDOT, other local partners and Amtrak, as well as privately owned freight railroads for continuing to deliver the private capital needed to move CREATE projects like this forward,” says AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “By updating the interlocking system at this busy rail corridor, railroads will be able to move more efficiently through the area, which will bolster safety and lessen driver and pedestrian disruptions.”
CREATE is a partnership that includes U.S. Department of Transportation, State of Illinois, Cook County, City of Chicago, Metra, Amtrak, and the nation’s freight railroads. It is intended to eliminate freight rail and motor vehicle bottlenecks and improve the overall safety and environment of the region.
–This story was edited June 13 to add comments from the Association of American Railroads.
