America Has Never Built an Airport Express Railway. Chicago Is About to Try. Nearly everyone agrees that there should be fast trains between downtown Chicago and O’Hare International Airport. The sticking point has always been how to make it happen: where the line...
Newsletter 1/9/26: Caltrain Regional Rail, Importance of Frequency and CUS Van Buren Entrance
Caltrain Shows Why Every Region Should Be Moving Toward Regional Rail
Faster speed, increased frequency, and more reliable service are causing ridership growth on Caltrain, the San Francisco Bay Area’s passenger railway. The ridership increase and service upgrades are a direct result of the electrification of Caltrain’s entire fleet of rolling stock in September 2024.
The results are a powerful argument for electrification and the adoption of a regional rail model of service by every commuter railway in the North America — i.e., offering fast, frequent service throughout the day, including weekends, instead of catering to antiquated commuting patterns and weekday rush hours.
Seven Reasons Planning for Frequency is Essential
Frequency, combined with consistent headways, drives ridership.
Greater frequencies reduce total travel times, serve different travel markets throughout the day, and improve system reliability. They make connections with buses, planes, and other trains viable.
Most importantly, frequency liberates travelers from a single make-or-break departure time. This freedom draws riders and creates a virtuous cycle of more ridership, more revenue, and more frequency.
Chicago Union Station Needs a New Entrance at Van Buren Street
Amtrak is rebuilding the Mail Platform under the Old Post Office into a passenger platform for Chicago Union Station. The gigantic platform–running from Jackson Street almost all the way to Polk Street–creates massive potential to serve more trains and more travelers.
As currently designed, passengers will be forced to take a time consuming trip through the concourse, across two live tracks, and through a chokepoint. Emergency exits will be built up to Van Buren and Harrison Streets.
The City of Chicago and/or the Illinois Department of Transportation needs partner with Amtrak and the owners of the Old Post office to add a direct entrance sooner, rather than later.
CA Closes Door on Getting Feds to Live Up to High-Speed Rail Promises
California High-Speed Rail Project Pivots Toward Public-Private Partnership
Amtrak Steps in After Minnesota Train Finally Abandons Travelers
Will Michigan Get a North-South Passenger Train Line? Where the Idea Stands (Detroit Free Press)
Oxford, Ohio, Advances Plans for New Stop for Amtrak’s Cardinal
South Korea Develops 370 KM/H High-Speed Train Technology
An Update on MDOT’s Work With Michigan Central and Rail Service to Toronto
Rep. Moulton Pushes for Faster, More Modern Approach for West-East Rail Plan
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