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Hey everyone, been awhile since I've posted on here. Anyway, I'm a student at Augustana College in IL and my group and I are researching the feasibilty of getting Amtrak service extended from Chicago to the Quad City Area of Illinois (that's Rock Island and Moline, IL and Bettendorf and Davenport, IA). I think I'm pretty well versed in the intracacies (sp?) of Amtrak funding and I'm pretty certain that they have neither the available rolling stock nor willingness from the state to kick up the subsidy AGAIN... but hence the feasibility study.
So I was just wondering if anyone had any interesting facts or figures pertaining to that particular line, or if anyone knew anyone that I might be able to contact who could help us out. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!
George Harris Member # 2077
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Where is your knowledge of what has been there in the past? Also, what sort of information do you have at hand?
This was the main line of the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific. Double track from West Liberty IA to Chicago. About 9 passenger trains ran each way into and out of Chicago in the early 1950's. Premier trains were the Golden State to Los Angeles and the Rocky Mountain Rocket to Denver and Colorado Springs. The premeir trains and even some of the not so premeir trains made Chicago to rock Island in three hours flat with stops at Englewood, Bureau, and Moline; and conditional stops at Joliet, Ottawa, and La Salle.
By the start of Amtrak it was down to one train to and from Chicago, and nothing west. The CRIP was on the downward spiral to corporate collapse and the track conditions were declining from bad to worse. Even though the schedule was set at about 4 hours, service and schedule adherance became a farce. The state of Illinois subsidized the service for a couple of years then finally granted euthanasia.
There are a couply of curvey areas near Bureau, but in gneral this was for many years a fairly fast piece fo railorad, and it could be again if sufficient money is spent on track and signals to make it possible, but it will not be cheap.
Plug in a complete rebuild of track runs about $2 million per mile. This is probably not necessary throughout, but there would need to be an analysis of track condition to see what was actually needed in the way of rail, new ties, ballast, etc.
There is a Rock island historical society. I would suggest do a web search on Rock Island Railroad or Chicago Rock Island and Pacific and see what you find.
George
notelvis Member # 3071
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I would guess that Amtrak service to the Quad Cities is very unlikely because of the track conditions George points out.
However, there is a grassroots organization (with a website.....link below) that is working on restoring passenger service on the former Illinois Central route through Rockford and Galena to Dubuque, IA. I don't know how active they are or what their chances for success are. However, there was Amtrak service on this line until 1981 and the tracks on this route are in significantly better condition. I'm guessing that the odds for rail passenger service returning to Rockford and Dubuque are far better than to the Quad Cities.
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I robbed this from trainorders. Maybe it is something you have already seen: Quad City Times Article
notelvis Member # 3071
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Wow.
This really is encouraging. Maybe Dubuque and Rockford are the ones playing catchup.
TheBriz09 Member # 3166
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Hey, thanks for the tips, everyone! (And the history... thanks George!) We'll see what we can dig up!
George Harris Member # 2077
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Looking at the comments on the story it appears that the anti-rail folks have some sort of "heads up" on this sort of stuff as their comments hit first with their usual canned "horrors, a subsidy" and "this rail project won't work" propoganda, then the comments in favor start coming in, along with a few voices of reason, "all transport is heavily subsidized, particularly air." This sort of timing of responses happens too often to be accidental.
George
Greg Member # 66
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Might the fastest and least expensive way to expand service to the Quad Cities be to upgrade the former Rock Island line west from a connection with the BNSF at Wyanet rather than upgrading the entire former Rock Island line from Chicago to the Quad Cities?
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I would love to see train service to Galena. It's on my list of places I want to visit. Right now I'd hav to take a train to Chicago, bus to Rockford, and then--I don't know what!
bill613a Member # 4264
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Probably the fastest way to implement service to the Quad Cities would be for some type of "piggybacking" with the ILLINOIS ZEPHYR & CARL SANDBURG. In the late 90's Amtrak tested a self propelled Flexliner that was operating in Europe and I believe Israel. Several Flexliners could run on the tail of both of the above mentioned trains and couple on/off at Princeton and then from there proceed to the Quad Cities over the Iowa Interstate. The same operation could be done with RDCs and a trailer coach or two. It would certainly be less costly then operating a separate train over this route or trying to upgrade the Iowa Interstate from Joliet to the Quad Cities. I don't know what type of interchange exists at Wyanet or what the position of the Iowa Interstate is on operating passenger service but it sounds like an idea worth pursuing.
notelvis Member # 3071
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quote:Originally posted by sojourner: I would love to see train service to Galena. It's on my list of places I want to visit. Right now I'd hav to take a train to Chicago, bus to Rockford, and then--I don't know what!
Hey Sojourner,
Burlington Trailways operates a daily bus through Galena. The bus is enroute from Chicago to Des Moines via Rockford, Galena, and Dubuque.
Downside is that the bus leaves Chicago early in the morning.....before any Amtrak train is scheduled to arrive.
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