I think it's pretty insane that the speed between St. Louis and Kansas City is still just 50 mph.
Lots of people got rich off that.mjbais1489 wrote: ↑Jun 13, 2023It's insane that we spent $2B over 20 years and cant make a train go faster than 4 hours and 45 minutes to Chicago.
Some articles have said "Chicago to St. Louis in under 5 hours". And while the schedules don't show that*, the 307 left Chicago at 7:10 pm yesterday and arrived 15 minutes early in St. Louis at 12:08, just past midnight. So this trip was completed 2 minutes shy of 5 hours.
*EDIT: I thought there were no scheduled trips under 5 hours but there are a few.
*EDIT: I thought there were no scheduled trips under 5 hours but there are a few.
There's padding between Alton and STL.
Maybe planning started 20 years ago and they did a few little things, but making improvement in a substantial way didn't start until after the ARRA grant.
And the route had atrophied a lot.
Still took way too long for sure.
Maybe planning started 20 years ago and they did a few little things, but making improvement in a substantial way didn't start until after the ARRA grant.
And the route had atrophied a lot.
Still took way too long for sure.
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Like every other aspect of American society, if nobody was getting rich off of it we wouldn't have done it in the first place.
For a 5 1/2 hour trip, 3 1/2 are spent getting from downtown to Alton, Joliet to Union Station, I'm kidding but not.
How many years and billions of dollars would it be to improve those out?shadrach wrote: ↑Jun 13, 2023For a 5 1/2 hour trip, 3 1/2 are spent getting from downtown to Alton, Joliet to Union Station, I'm kidding but not.
^ As it’s been mentioned multiple times in this thread…there are plans to move Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains to Metra’s Rock Island District between Joliet and Chicago. Moving passenger trains off the regularly congested and delay prone CN Heritage Line (what current trains use) would shave even more time off. To accomplish that, the station in Joliet needs to be reconfigured.
Things are moving forward:
Things are moving forward:
addxb2 wrote: ↑May 03, 2023That being said, improvements in [the] Chicago area have already been identified and are partially funded or under construction.
CREATE Program Status: https://createprogram.wpenginepowered.c ... us_map.pdf
Union Station Redevelopment: https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/ne ... s-project/
New timetables STL - CHI
4:30a - 9:25 (4 hr 55 min) 300 Lincoln Service
6:35a - 11:40 (5 hr 5 min) 302 Lincoln Service
8:08a - 1:42 (5 hr 34 min) 22 Texas Eagle
2:55p - 8:00 (5 hr 5 min) 318 Missouri RR- Lincoln Service
5:40p - 11:05 (5 hr 25 min) 306 Lincoln Service
The 306 hasn't changed. I hope that's just not been updated yet.
CHI-STL
7:15aa - 12:01 (4 hr 46 min) 301 Lincoln Service
9:50a - 2:51 (5 hr 1 min) 319 Missouri RR- Lincoln Service
1:55p - 7:11 (5 hr 16 min) 22 Texas Eagle
5:20p - 10:23 (5 hr 3 min) 305 Lincoln Service
7:10p - 12:09 (4 hr 59 min) 307 Lincoln Service
4:30a - 9:25 (4 hr 55 min) 300 Lincoln Service
6:35a - 11:40 (5 hr 5 min) 302 Lincoln Service
8:08a - 1:42 (5 hr 34 min) 22 Texas Eagle
2:55p - 8:00 (5 hr 5 min) 318 Missouri RR- Lincoln Service
5:40p - 11:05 (5 hr 25 min) 306 Lincoln Service
The 306 hasn't changed. I hope that's just not been updated yet.
CHI-STL
7:15aa - 12:01 (4 hr 46 min) 301 Lincoln Service
9:50a - 2:51 (5 hr 1 min) 319 Missouri RR- Lincoln Service
1:55p - 7:11 (5 hr 16 min) 22 Texas Eagle
5:20p - 10:23 (5 hr 3 min) 305 Lincoln Service
7:10p - 12:09 (4 hr 59 min) 307 Lincoln Service
Any idea on how much that will help?sc4mayor wrote: ↑Jun 14, 2023^ As it’s been mentioned multiple times in this thread…there are plans to move Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains to Metra’s Rock Island District between Joliet and Chicago. Moving passenger trains off the regularly congested and delay prone CN Heritage Line (what current trains use) would shave even more time off. To accomplish that, the station in Joliet needs to be reconfigured.
Things are moving forward:addxb2 wrote: ↑May 03, 2023That being said, improvements in [the] Chicago area have already been identified and are partially funded or under construction.
CREATE Program Status: https://createprogram.wpenginepowered.c ... us_map.pdf
Union Station Redevelopment: https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/ne ... s-project/
And I assume Alton to St. Louis is a monster headache?
God I can't believe they moved that 6:40am departure even earlier. Having 3/5 trains from STL to Chicago leave before 9:00am is so brutal.
Addxb2 could probably answer that better than me. In my non expert opinion I’d imagine they could shave another 10-20 or so minutes off moving to a commuter rail corridor instead of a shared freight corridor. I’ve never been to Chicago by train so I’m not really sure how frequent/long delays on that part of the route are.dweebe wrote: ↑Jun 14, 2023Any idea on how much that will help?sc4mayor wrote: ↑Jun 14, 2023^ As it’s been mentioned multiple times in this thread…there are plans to move Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains to Metra’s Rock Island District between Joliet and Chicago. Moving passenger trains off the regularly congested and delay prone CN Heritage Line (what current trains use) would shave even more time off. To accomplish that, the station in Joliet needs to be reconfigured.
Things are moving forward:addxb2 wrote: ↑May 03, 2023That being said, improvements in [the] Chicago area have already been identified and are partially funded or under construction.
CREATE Program Status: https://createprogram.wpenginepowered.c ... us_map.pdf
Union Station Redevelopment: https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/ne ... s-project/
And I assume Alton to St. Louis is a monster headache?
On the St. Louis side improvements are also being made. The rebuilt Merchants Bridge should help reduce delays, as should the removal of the Broadway truss which allows for wider and faster trains to come across the MacArthur.
TRRA is expanding Madison Yard to allow for longer trains and faster movement and the Lenox tower and interlocking reconstruction increased speeds on that section from 40mph to 80mph for passenger trains and 10-30mph to 40-60mph for freight.
I’m not sure if there is anything else on the docket for this end of the line.
The Alton to St. Louis Lenux Tower improvements were completed in October of last year. Allows for trains to run 80mph on certain sections.
Just checked. Train was on-time pulling into Alton but is now estimated to be 12 minutes early pulling into St. Louis. If it holds, travel time between Chicago and St. Louis will be 4:54 minutes.
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Just checked. Train was on-time pulling into Alton but is now estimated to be 12 minutes early pulling into St. Louis. If it holds, travel time between Chicago and St. Louis will be 4:54 minutes.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Indeed the 306 was updated.quincunx wrote: ↑Jun 14, 2023New timetables STL - CHI
4:30a - 9:25 (4 hr 55 min) 300 Lincoln Service
6:35a - 11:40 (5 hr 5 min) 302 Lincoln Service
8:08a - 1:42 (5 hr 34 min) 22 Texas Eagle
2:55p - 8:00 (5 hr 5 min) 318 Missouri RR- Lincoln Service
5:40p - 11:05 (5 hr 25 min) 306 Lincoln Service
The 306 hasn't changed. I hope that's just not been updated yet.
CHI-STL
7:15aa - 12:01 (4 hr 46 min) 301 Lincoln Service
9:50a - 2:51 (5 hr 1 min) 319 Missouri RR- Lincoln Service
1:55p - 7:11 (5 hr 16 min) 22 Texas Eagle
5:20p - 10:23 (5 hr 3 min) 305 Lincoln Service
7:10p - 12:09 (4 hr 59 min) 307 Lincoln Service
5:40p - 10:43 (5 hr 3 min) 306 Lincoln Service
The 305 arrived in Carlinville 14 mins early tonight. The new schedule only reduces SPI-CRV by 1 min, 42 to 41. I think there's some more to trim.
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Honestly, there's no reason we couldn't have two hundred mile an hour service on that corridor. If the US were a first world country then it'd be two hours flat by rain to Chicago. The density is there. The demand is clearly there. (Given the frequency of flights.) It's flat and fairly rural. It just requires the political will to invest the money. It's a much easier build than California's project. Illinois could make it happen. Missouri really should join in and extend it to Kansas City where, again, the density and demand are clearly there. It needs to be a new rail corridor. It will cost billions. And the airlines are well aware that such a move will cut into their profits, especially if it spreads, and they will continue to lobby against it. (Amtrak and Southwest teamed up to defeat Texas highspeed rail in the 90s. Mostly Southwest, but if I recall correctly Amtrak jumped in as well since it was a private company and it technically cut into their legally protected monopoly.) The asphalt and concrete companies will lobby against it. It'll have more than its fair share of enemies. Even the Musk Ox will doubtless put a few bills into keeping it down. But it needs to happen anyway. It's time to rejoin the first world.
Tonight the 305 was
5 mins late leaving Joliet
1 min early at Dwight
3 mins early at Pontiac
9 mins early at Bloomington-Normal
3 mins early at Lincoln
8 mins early at Springfield
14 mins early at Carlinville
13 mins early at Alton
20 mins early at St. Louis
That's 76 mins faster than schedule. Nice!
5 mins late leaving Joliet
1 min early at Dwight
3 mins early at Pontiac
9 mins early at Bloomington-Normal
3 mins early at Lincoln
8 mins early at Springfield
14 mins early at Carlinville
13 mins early at Alton
20 mins early at St. Louis
That's 76 mins faster than schedule. Nice!
When it’s early at a station does it have to wait then to leave? Or you are just SOL if you get there on time?quincunx wrote: ↑Jun 21, 2023Tonight the 305 was
5 mins late leaving Joliet
1 min early at Dwight
3 mins early at Pontiac
9 mins early at Bloomington-Normal
3 mins early at Lincoln
8 mins early at Springfield
14 mins early at Carlinville
13 mins early at Alton
20 mins early at St. Louis
That's 76 mins faster than schedule. Nice!
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Yes, it waited until the scheduled departure times before it left. Eventually they'll update the departure schedule, but my bet is they want to get a larger sample size of actual times before they immediately change departure times.
They're updating the schedule on Monday. Check out post 1367 above.
On the northbound trains, Summit is denoted with a "Stops only to discharge passengers (may leave before time shown)"
https://www.railpassengers.org/resource ... imetables/
You'd think they could do that for Alton on the southbound trains and also Joliet northbound.
Can't be too many people riding Alton-STL or Joliet-CHI, and they can adjust to the possibility of a slightly early departure since the train doesn't really exist to serve those trips.
https://www.railpassengers.org/resource ... imetables/
You'd think they could do that for Alton on the southbound trains and also Joliet northbound.
Can't be too many people riding Alton-STL or Joliet-CHI, and they can adjust to the possibility of a slightly early departure since the train doesn't really exist to serve those trips.
^I generally agree though with two caveats that 1) Summit has METRA commuter rail service to Chicago, unlike Alton
2) There probably are some passengers who board in Alton to connect in St. Louis for Kansas City, though that would be just once a day (with the 319 already running through without connection)
2) There probably are some passengers who board in Alton to connect in St. Louis for Kansas City, though that would be just once a day (with the 319 already running through without connection)