Upgrading existing assets to create a high-capacity passenger-dedicated mainline to and through Chicago

A concept of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association

Nothing beats being there in person

We depend upon smooth and convenient transportation to facilitate productive business meetings, work and entertainment trips, education and tourism.

But our infrastructure has failed to keep pace with changing demand. We waste too much time on long, tedious drives.

Fast, frequent and dependable trains will make travel easier, more affordable and more reliable. That means more of those critical meetings and face-to-face interactions will happen.

Policy makers throughout the Midwest recognize the value of trains. Planning work is underway for many passenger rail expansions throughout the region, but fragmented planning means that each pro-posal is evaluated independently, having to justify large infrastructure improvements on its own.

CrossRail would repurpose and upgrade existing assets to create a high-capacity passenger-dedicated mainline to and through Chicago. The line would allow Metra to operate frequent crosstown service and airport express trains, while providing access for Amtrak, South Shore and future high-speed trains from across the entire Midwest.

With CrossRail, individual projects can be seen as building blocks added to a central core. This unified approach would expedite planning and construction, reduce capital expenses, and expand the benefits more quickly.

It begins by expanding Union Station to facilitate transfers throughout the region, then modernizing and connecting two Metra lines with faster, more efficient electrified trains.

Coordination between multiple local, regional and state agencies will transform transportation for the entire region.

CrossRail will benefit the entire region, starting with:

• Electrified express trains linking O’Hare to Union Station, McCormick Place and Univ. of Chicago• Cross-town commuter trains linking the south suburbs to the northwest suburbs.• The foundation for high-speed rail and more than $13.8 billion in economic impacts.

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CrossRail ChicagoPotential Metra RERDirect Bene�tIndirect Bene�tProposed Expansions

Union Station

McCormick Place

O’Hare

The Core of an Integrated, Regional Network

CrossRail Chicago will improve all Amtrak, Metra and South Shore routes in the Midwest. It will be the pilot for Metra RER upgrades on other Metra routes.

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Metro-Area Travel

Millions of people use Metra and other mass transit to get downtown. But inconvenient connections make crosstown trips difficult. CrossRail Chicago will create countless new trip combinations and encourage thousands more passengers to ride trains and buses.

Employment and DevelopmentCook County suffers from a jobs and hous-ing mismatch resulting in high unemploy-ment and out-migration. CrossRail Chicago will offer an affordable and convenient way for south suburban residents to reach the job-rich suburbs along the I-90 corridor.

Transit Hub at O’Hare CrossRail Chicago creates the volume of transit passengers needed to bring about a much needed transformation of the O’Hare-area transit hub.

Better Buses CTA & Pace would be able to redeploy ex-isting assets to enhance connecting services, growing ridership for all three agencies.

Bypassing Congestion The Dan Ryan, Eisenhower and Kennedy Expressways are the Midwest’s most congested freeways. CrossRail Chicago is the most cost-effective method to add capacity in these corridors.

Potential integrated Metra RER & Pace Rapid Bus network

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An Economic Engine for the Region

The region’s economy depends upon visitors, especially from the Midwest.• In 2013, visitors to Cook County spent $21.1 billion, generating $1.5 billion in state and local taxes.• Nearly 75% of Chicago’s visitors come from 9 Midwestern states and most of them drive.• CrossRail will make all of the Chicago Metro Area more attractive for all Midwest visitors.

Growing O’HareCities and communities throughout the Midwest recognize that access to international markets through O’Hare is essential to their economic futures. With CrossRail Chicago, trains would feed more passengers to long-distance flights. Suburbanites could park at O’Hare to catch a train.

Supporting Convention and TourismA one-seat ride between O’Hare and McCormick Place, combined with links to other major convention centers, will make the Chicago-area convention industry more competitive.

The Foundation for High Speed RailA 2011 study by the Economic Development Research Group estimates that high-speed trains linking Chicago to eight major cities would generate an additional $13.8 billion annually in business sales for the Chicago Metropolitan Region. CrossRail Chicago provides the foundation for this network.

609,000 construction job-years

Annual Savings:• 760 million gallons of gas• $3 billion travel time cost• 3.3 million tons of CO2e

1

#

2

43

9

7

11 13

5

10

15

14

126

8

Midwest Region Top Chicago Travel Origins

9 Midwest states

Domestic other

Canada

Mexico

Overseas

9 Midwest states

Domestic other

Canada

Mexico

Overseas

Drive

Train

Fly

Bus

Other

Fly

Drive

Bus

Train

Other

Drive

Train

Fly

Bus

Other

MIDWEST BUSINESS VISITORS MODE SPLIT 2013

MIDWEST LEISURE VISITORS MODE SPLIT 2013

$13.8 Billion Additional Sales in Chicago

Source: Choose Chicago

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Levels of Service

RER Local• A train every 10 – 15 minutes all day• All stops• Operate through the Loop• Lower fares

Airport & RER Express• A train every 15 – 30 minutes• Limited stops• Operate through the Loop• Medium fares in Commuter Class

Higher fares in First Class

Metra Suburban & South Shore• A train every 30 – 60 minutes• Skips most in-city stops,

timed transfers to locals• Terminate downtown• Medium fares

Amtrak and High Speed Rail• Varied schedules• Limited stops• Some operate through the Loop,

others timed to connect with express trains• Higher fares

Ventra IntegrationIntegrating fares across Metra, Pace, and the CTA using the Ventra card would make travel more convenient. Tap-on/Tap-off could be used instead of turnstiles.

Level BoardingPlatforms level with the car floor would improve access for wheelchair users, bike riders and those with luggage, while speeding boarding for all.

Convenient Bus ConnectionsMore frequent service and integrated schedules would make CrossRail a high-volume spine of a stronger, regionwide transit network.

O'HareRosemont

Schiller ParkBelmont Ave/Franklin Park

River GroveElmwood Park

Mont ClareMars

GalewoodHanson ParkGrand/CiceroWestern Ave.

Ashland AveUnion Station

Museums/McCormick PlBurnham Lakefront

39th Street47th Street

51st/53rd Street55th-56th-57th Street

59th St. Univ. of Chicago63rd Street75th Street

Chatham, 79th St.83rd Street87th Street91st Street

Chicago State Univ., 95th St.103rd Street107th Street

Pullman/111th StreetKensington, 115th Street

Altgeld GardensRiverdale

Ivanhoe147th Street

HarveyHazel Crest

CalumetHomewood

FlossmoorOlympia Fields

Lincoln Hwy., 211th St.Matteson

Richton ParkUniversity Park

Express

Local

Suburban

Am

trak & H

SR

The 78

South Chicago BranchM

illenium Station

To Blue Island

Millenium

Station

To Indiana

To Elgin

To Fox Lake

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O’Hare Airport

111th/PullmanPullman National Monument

To Indiana

River Grove

Union Station

Ashlan

d Ave

.

Millennium Station

Hyde Park

93rd St/South Chicago

Blue Island AltgeldGardens

16th Street Connector

Metra Electric Branch

Metra North Central

South Shore (NICTD)Metra Electric Main

Express StationLocal StationPotential Station

Chicago StateUniversity

FordChicagoAssembly

University of ChicagoMuseum of Science and IndustryObama Presidential Center

Van Buren St.

South WorksDevelopment

Museum CampusSoldier Field

Burnham Lakefront

University of Illinoisat Chicago

McCormick Place

Met

ra E

lect

ric

Mai

n L

ine

Metra ElectricBlue Island Branch

Metra ElectricSouth Chicago Branch

16th StreetConnector

Metra N

orth

Cen

tral

South Shore (NICTD)

To South Suburbs,Kankakee, Champaign-Urbana

Metra Milwaukee Distr ict West

Wes

t Loo

p/Fu

lton

Mar

ket

The 7

8

Level Boarding

Tap-on/Tap-off

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New O’Hare Transit Center

B-12

Phase two tunnels

13 highway crossings separated, including Harlem and Grand

Galewood/Elmwood Park RR Relocation

Two flyovers, like the new Englewood Flyover (pictured), are needed to increase ca-pacity and improve reliabilty. 6 Metra routes and 1 Amtrak route would be improved.

A-2 AND A-5 FLYOVERS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

ALTERNATE EXPRESS ROUTE

RER and HSR trains would use two new tracks between O’Hare and Union Station. Freight and Suburban trains would use two parallel tracks.

B-12

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

New track and electrification for faster speeds

McCormick Place

Hyde Park

Pullman

SOUTH SUBURBAN AIRPORT SITE

To Champaign

University Park

Union Station

A-5

A-2

OgilvieTransportation

Center

UnionStation LaSalle St.

Station

MilleniumParkStation

Van Buren St. Station

McCormickPlaceStation

11th St.Station

21st St. Bridge

Through Platforms Built

New Ramp to St. Charles Airline

New 16th Street Flyover

16th Street Connector

RER, Suburban and HSR trains would use Metra Electric District tracks rebuilt to modern standards. Freight trains would continue to use parallel tracks.

The St. Charles Airline would be rebuilt with two or three electrified tracks and direct access to Union Station.

METRA / SOUTH SHORE RR

AMTRAK

CN

ST. CHARLES AIRLINE

TRACK OWNERSHIP

MAP NOT TO SCALE.

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Phase 2 Tunnel

Extension

Regional

Hotel

Rental

O’Hare TransferStation

O’Hare International Airport

Airport express trains should access Terminal 2 and Terminal 5 in a new tunnel. Other trains could serve a new station added to the airport’s new parking garage, consolidated rental car facility and bus station which will host regional buses, hotel shuttle vans and Pace buses.

Illustrations: Midwest High Speed Rail Association concepts based on Department of Aviation drawings

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Clin

ton

Can

al

Congress

J ackson

Van Buren

sAdamss

Chi

cago

Riv

er

Blue line connection

Chicago Union Station300 South Riverside StationProposed Long TermConcourse Level Plan

Improved Passenger

Pedestrian Circulation& Lobbies

Amtrak Waiting Area

Vertical Circulation

New Vertical Circulation

Retail/Food

Train Operations

Building Cores

Metra Waiting Area

Existing Platforms

Ticketing

Of�ce Space

Vacant

N

Clin

ton

Can

al

Congress

J ackson

Van Buren

Adams

Chi

cago

Riv

er

Chicago Union Station222 South Riverside StationExisting Concourse Level Plan

Freight

Pedestrian Circulation& Lobbies

Amtrak Waiting Area

Vertical Circulation

New Vertical Circulation

Retail/Food

Train Operations

Building Cores

Metra Waiting Area

Passenger

Ticketing

Of�ce Space

Vacant

NUnion Station Track Reconfiguration

Amtrak, the Chicago Department of Transportation and Metra are preparing a reconfirguration of the concourse and platform areas that will facilitate through-running trains. It is important that future elec-trification be included in the designs.

UNUSABLE THROUGH TRACKS

NARROW PLATFORMS

POTENTIAL CONCOURSE ABOVE

THROUGH PLATFORMS

OPEN CONCOURSE

TODAY PROPOSED

CONGESTED CONCOURSE

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Order of Magnitude Capital Costs

CrossRail is very phaseable. It is a collection of many projects which have independent utility. Projects can be grouped by segment, though there are individual projects within each segment as well.Union Station expansion, a new station at O’Hare, the A-2 Flyover and the 16th Street Connector are the most urgent.

O’Hare Station $50,000,000

O’Hare – B12 $345,000,000

• Purchase 5 miles of ROW • Replace 3 stations

• Construct 2 electrified mainline tracks • Separate 1 highway crossing

B12 – Union Station/Ogilvie $1,534,000,000

• Reconstruct 3 existing mainline tracks and add fourth • Replace 8 stations

• Electrify 2 mainline tracks • Separate 13 highway crossings

• A-5 Flyover

A2 Flyover — impacts 7 Metra routes $175,000,000

O’Hare — West Loop Total $2,104,000,000

Union Station through tracks $200,000,000

• Total need for Union Station expansion = $500,000,000

16th Street Connector — Needed for St. Louis 110 project $825,000,000

• New connections to St. Charles Airline • Electrify 2 tracks

• 16th Street Flyover • Replace 16 bridges

McCormick Place/Michael Reese Station complex $50,000,000

16th Street Connector Total $875,000,000

Metra Electric Upgrades $725,000,000

• Reconstruct existing mainline tracks • Upgrade stations

• Modernize electrification and signaling

Total $3,904,000,000

These estimates were conducted by MHSRA staff for discussion purposes only. Revised 5/12/2016. Rolling stock and fare collection systems assumed to be financed by operators.

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Estimated Annual Ridership

Many existing and proposed routes will be impacted by CrossRail. Each route/segment has been studied separately, which fails to provide a clear picture of the power of a coordinated system. If developed togeth-er, these projects will generate more ridership, revenue and benefits than they can independently.The estimates are offered only to illustrate the potential impact of CrossRail. A more detailed analysis is needed.

2014 PotentialDirect Impacts

Airport Express1 0 2,000,000Metra crosstown traffic2 0 1,900,000Metra Electric3 9,416,000 10,357,600Metra Milwaukee North3 7,237,000 7,960,700Metra Milwaukee West3 6,946,000 7,640,600Metra North Central3 1,817,000 1,998,700Metra Rock Island3 8,544,000 9,398,400Metra UP West3 8,423,000 9,265,300NICTD South Shore4 3,614,000 3,975,400Amtrak Champaign/Carbondale5

315,000 346,500

Amtrak St. Louis6 634,000 1,707,000Amtrak Milwaukee7 800,000 4,532,000Amtrak MI routes8 769,349 3,151,411

48,515,349 64,233,611

2014 PotentialExtensions

O’Hare – Elgin9 0 4,704,000Elgin – Rockford10 0 1,410,000Champaign extension11 0 2,169,002Metra Southeast12 0 5,236,000NICTD West Lake 13 0 1,568,000Amtrak Indianapolis/Cincinnati14

37,000 1,707,000

Indirect Impacts

Metra UP North3 9,328,000 10,260,800Metra UP Northwest3 11,609,000 12,769,900

High Speed Rail

Milwaukee/Madison/ St. Paul15

0 15,884,000

Toledo/Detroit/Cleveland15

0 12,260,000

Champaign/Springfield/St. Louis15

0 7,904,000

Indianapolis/Cincinnati15 0 7,226,000

Sources: 1. Express Airport Train Service Business Plan, September 2006.

2. MHSRA

3. Metra calendar 2014, increased 10% for potential growth

4. APTA Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter and End-of-Year 2014

5. Amtrak FY2014, increased 10% for potential growth

6. Amtrak FY2014, CHI-STL 2011 Tier I EIS

7. Amtrak FY2014, Midwest HSR Network Benefits Study 2012

8. Amtrak FY2014, CHI-DET 2014 draft Tier I EIS +10% increase for branches

9. STAR Alternative Analysis, June 2012.

10. Rockford – O’Hare alternative corridor study, 2010 draft

11. Midwest HSR Network Benefits Study 2012

12. Southeast Service Alternatives Analysis 2011, weekday × 280

13. Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District

14. Amtrak FY2014, comparable to Chicago – St. Louis

15. Midwest HSR Network Benefits Study 2012, may double count from above

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Revenue Sources

Coordinating

Agency

Funding

Benefits

Option B: Public Private Patnership Structure

Option A: Coordinating Agency Structure

Special Purpose Entity

Obtains financing

Acquires needed RR assets

Manages construction

Contracts for infrastruc-ture operation and maintenance

Develops approved planned development

Track access fees

State funds

Federal funds

METRAIDOT CN

Increased real estate taxes

Increased tourism

More tradeshows

Southside redevelopment

Improved access to jobs

New Southside tran-sit service

Development Rights

Airport Express operating surplus

Increased Passenger fares

Federal & State Trackage Fees Fares

Coordinating Agency

Chicago Aviation AmtrakChicago DOT

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The historic Denver Union Station reopened in July 2014 using a successful Public-Private Partnership (P3). The station and the surrounding 19.5 acres is the hub of Denver’s growing FasTracks commuter rail network as well as its Regional and Express bus networks.

Relevant Nationwide Cases• All Aboard Florida: New Miami – Orlando passenger route financed with real estate development and passen-

ger fares.• Denver Eagle P3: Precedent setting P3 financing 23 mile airport line opened in Spring 2016.• Detroit M1: Non-profit organization formed in 2007 to lead design, construction and operation of 3.3 mile

circulating streetcar.• Portland TriMet Airport Max: Real estate development financed more than 40% of 5.5 mile light rail exten-

sion to airport.• Toronto Union Pearson Express: Metrolinx, Toronto’s regional transit authority, created a subsidiary to con-

struct and operate a 23-mile long airport train using tracks shared by GO commuter trains and freight trains.

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Join us at JustBuildIt.org1 Send a letter at CrossRailChicago.org2

Meet with your elected officials3

You Can Help

Next Steps

We would like Metra to:• Adopt Ventra card tap-on/tap-off on the Electric District• Allow fare transfers between the Electric District and CTA / Pace• Dramatically increase frequencies on the Electric and North Central routes

We would like City of Chicago to:• Choose the “Metra” solution for airport express• Partner with Metra to link and upgrade Electric and North Central routes

We would like Cook County to:• Create overall plan for CrossRail• Coordinate the program

We would like State of Illinois to:• Develop a statewide plan for an integrated passenger rail and bus network• Create a Railroad Infrastructure Fund to pay for this and other critical needs

Midwest High Speed Rail Association

Since 1993, the Midwest High Speed Rail Association has worked with federal, regional, state and local agencies, the railroad industry, and fellow advocacy groups to cultivate the political will and public support needed to make fast, frequent and dependable trains a reality.

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Midwest High Speed Rail AssociationRECONNECTING THE REGION

4765 N Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL 60625 773.334.6758 | MidwestHSR.org