Amtrak and commuter rail - why they’re different, why do we need both?
5 comments July 7th, 2009
With a local coalition formed to push for Amtrak service between Chicago, Rockford and Dubuque, Iowa, it’s come up that there continues to be confusion on different rail services being talked about. Here are some definitions:
Amtrak — Once- or twice-a-day service between Chicago, Belvidere, Rockford, Freeport, Galena and Dubuque, Iowa. Less frequent, more comfortable and generally higher fares than commuter rail. Designed for day trips and weekend getaways to stops along the line, as well as longer vacations to cities in Amtrak’s system. Could start as early as November 2011. It would be run by the Illinois Department of Transportation. It would cost about $60 million in track upgrades and state operating subsidies to start. No new taxes would be needed.
Commuter rail — Several-times-a-day service between Rockford, Belvidere, Marengo, Huntley, Elgin and Bensenville. More frequent, less comfortable and generally lower fares than Amtrak. Designed for daily commuters to and from Chicago suburbs. Would be on same line as Amtrak, though with more stops. Could start as early as fall 2013. It would be likely run by a local government body — the leading candidate is Rockford Mass Transit District. It would cost about $200 million to start, plus $10 million a year in operating subsidies. It would likely need some sort of local tax increase.
High-speed rail — Not currently planned for Rockford area. True high speed rail goes 125 mph or faster and is designed to connect cities 100 to 600 miles apart. Amtrak and commuter rail generally won’t top 80 mph because the distance between stations is less.
The idea is Amtrak is the “low-hanging fruit” that can be gotten first, setting the stage for commuter rail. I think it’s clear we can use both, since they serve different targets. Here’s what I wrote in a column a year ago:
(Commuter rail) would be geared toward the 42,600 people who commute out of Winnebago and Boone counties. And according to last year’s report commissioned by local economic development leaders, those people aren’t going downtown. Their average commute is 40 miles (That’s Rockford to Elgin, or Belvidere to Hoffman Estates). Only 18 percent said they go more than 60 miles (the distance from Belvidere to the Chicago city limits).
The Rock River Valley needs both Amtrak and commuter rail, for different reasons. The former will allow day-trippers and businesspeople to reach the cultural and economic center of the Midwest. The latter will allow commuters to get to their suburban jobs, or suburban companies to bring jobs here, and for recreational traffic between the suburbs and here.
Some have commented that the proposed commuter rail would take too long to get to Chicago (up to 2 1/2 hours, including a transfer to Chicago) to be useful. But the times to Elgin (an hour) and Bensenville (95 minutes) are competitive with driving when you take into account growing congestion on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. It may not always be faster than driving but - as Metra riders in Chicagoland know - you get a more predictable commute and the ability to get work done on the train. If nothing else, this will cut down on those people who shave while driving.
I’m writing a story on the subject for later on. What do you folks think? Do we need both? Why or why not? And what questions do you have about the proposed services?
