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 The High-speed Rail Project will run from Chicago to St. Louis
covering a distance of 262 miles. The trains that run on the rails
will be capable to travelling at speeds of 110 miles per hour.
Francesco Jacobini and Michael Stead spoke at the hearing on the
progress of the project. Jacobini and Stead both work for IDOT.
According to the presentation, plans for this project were initially
conceived back in the 1980’s. In 1992, the state of Illinois was
granted a federal designation for a high-speed rail project. In
recent years, IDOT has worked with the Federal Railroad
Administration, Union-Pacific, Amtrak, and the Illinois Commerce
Commission on the rail upgrades.
Altogether, this project is a $1.53 billion dollar construction
project. According to the presentation, most of the funding is
provided through the federal government. With the high speed rail in
place, the trip from one end of the line to the other could be
reduced by as much as one hour.
 According to Jacobini, eight new stations will need to be built as
part of the project. Of those eight, four will be reconstructed from
existing stations. The Lincoln Depot is one of those stations.
In addition to the new stations, Jacobini spoke of new trains that
will be acquired sometime next year. The new trains will be bi-level
trains, and they will have a potential maximum speed of 135 miles
per hour, though they will still be limited to 110.
Jacobini and Stead spoke highly of the improved safety features that
will be implemented as part of this new system. A new rail warning
system will be put in place called Positive Train Control, or the
PTC. According to Stead, the PTC will be able to detect objects that
are on the tracks with enough time for an automated brake to apply
on the train. Stead said that the train system will slow down or
possibly stop completely if there is still something on the track.
In addition to the PTC system, four quadrant gates are being
installed at all public rail crossings. Four quadrant gates make it
more difficult for vehicles to drive around them and potentially get
stuck on the tracks. Private crossings found in rural areas will
also have active warning gates installed.
When asked about how long the gates will remain closed at a
crossing, Stead said the total delay time should remain the same.
While the gates will close relatively sooner to current trains, the
higher speeds should result in less time waiting at the gate.
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The new high speed rail system will close gates fifteen seconds faster than
current rail operations when passenger trains are approaching. “Freight trains
will still operate the same way they do now,” said Stead.
Right of way fencing will also be built in urban and select rural areas for
greater pedestrian safety and trespassing prevention. Stead said that
trespassing on rails has been an important issue for IDOT.
“Trespassing on the rails has gone up in the last few years,” said Stead. As an
example, Stead said that in Bloomington there are students from ISU that cross
the tracks frequently. By state law, it is illegal to cross train tracks except
at public crossings.
On the topic of safety, Stead said that IDOT has been working with the ICC and
Operation Lifesaver to provide community education throughout the state. Through
this program, they have worked with schools to provide educational presentations
to over 4,800 students.
According to the presentation, the high speed rail will be completed by the end
of next year. “We have one construction season left,” said Jacobini. Currently,
the main line from Chicago to St. Louis is completed, with side lines, grade
crossings, and surrounding street work to be completed throughout the state.
[Derek Hurley]
Comments and questions can be sent to IDOT via the official IDOT
site (www.idothsr.org)
or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/IllinoisHigh
SpeedRail) or
via their hotline at 1-855-IDOT HSR (436-8477).
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