A group of Chicago business leaders have announced plan to launch what they’re calling, “the first airport express train in the US.” The O’Hare Flyer is a fully electric train that will offer non-stop rides between downtown Chicago and America’s busiest airfield.
The planned fully electric train route has been pieced together, Ticket to Ride-style, using freight rail right-of-way currently owned by three Class I railroads: CSX, Canadian National (CN), and Union Pacific (UP). The O’Hare Flyer group has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with CSX and says it’s moving forward with the other carriers as well.
“By combining three existing but underused freight rights-of-way into a dedicated express rail service, we will create the best airport transportation experience in America – and one of the best in the world,” remarked O’Hare Flyer Founder and Chief Engineering Officer, Mark Walbrun. “This is an important first for Chicago and for the country. O’Hare Flyer will build on Chicago’s heritage as America’s rail capital and center of innovation.”
The proposed train would carry passengers from Chicago‘s West Loop to O’Hare’s Terminal 2, which serves Air Canada, JetBlue, United Express, and select United Airlines flights. Alaska Airlines and select Delta flights also operate from the terminal.
Easier, faster
A Chicago Tribune editorial published along with the announcement projects a $25-35 cost (per passenger) to ride the proposed express train – which we can’t help but compare to the slower existing CTA Blue Line route from Terminal 1 that costs $2.50 and makes stops throughout the NW suburbs – and claims trains will leave O’Hare every 15 minutes, on the quarter hour.
It’s important to note, also, that the O’Hare Flyer is a private, commercial endeavor, and the group behind it says they’re not currently seeking government subsidies or funding that could otherwise go to regional transit agencies such as Chicago’s existing CTA or Metra rail services. And, in addition to bringing their own money to the table, the group is also planning to bring union jobs to the area.
“O’Hare Flyer will be a job creation engine and an investment in working families and communities across Greater Chicago,” says Mike Macellaio, President of the Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council. “Our MOU is an important first step toward a Project Labor Agreement that will help ensure this landmark project is built by Greater Chicago’s highly skilled unionized construction workforce while expanding opportunities for local workers and delivering lasting economic benefits throughout the region.”
The O’Hare Flyer team plans to have the first trains in operation around 2030, and is currently meeting with public officials, business, finance, government, and community groups to promote the project.
SOURCE | IMAGES: O’Hare Flyer group; featured image via Indian Eagle.
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