For the first time since the early 1980s, passenger rail service is set to return to Rockford, bringing much-anticipated relief to commuters.
Those who currently face a two-hour drive to Chicago each day can rejoice, as the highly anticipated Illinois Passenger Rail project is now in its final stages. The development promises to make travel between the cities more convenient for residents of the area.
The project was approved by Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), which is collaborating with Union Pacific Railroad and Metra to reestablish intercity passenger rail service between the cities.
The Illinois passenger rail system aims to simplify travel
The Governor’s Rebuild Illinois capital plan is allocating $275 million to reinstate this service with several key improvements:
- Upgrading tracks to accommodate passenger rail speeds of up to 79 mph
- Constructing a connection between the Metra and Union Pacific tracks at Big Timber
- Enhancing Elgin Station to support intercity passenger rail service
- Adding a new control point with universal crossovers at Bartlett
- Improving grade crossing surfaces, highway approaches, and warning devices
- Evaluating bridge conditions as necessary
- Proposing a siding near Marengo
The train ride will take approximately 2 hours. There will be two round-trip schedules each day, with a planned launch in 2027.