Longer freight trains, high speed rail through
Village a possibility
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
A second set of tracks through Chatham? High speed rail? And two-mile long freight trains in
constant shuttle from Chicago to St. Louis and back?
Those ideas may sound a bit far-fetched, but local residents in the Village of Chatham will need to
pay attention in the coming years.
The potential impact of this federal project on Sangamon County alone will be significant, and it is
projected to cost over $4 billion dollars, Mayor Tom Gray said.
"I don't like it, but from what I understand, it's a done deal," Gray stated. "I'm hopeful that we may be
able to parlay it into getting an overpass on the south side of Chatham."
There are a lot of unknowns at this point, Gray cautioned, but the wheels are being put into motion
to get this massive project off the ground.
Gray, along with mayors from Williamsville, Sherman and Auburn, met with county administrator
Brian McFadden and Springfield-Sangamon Planning Commission Executive Director Norm Sims
recently, where they heard first-hand about this federal project.
Gray said the impetus behind the proposal comes from the Union Pacific Railroad as part of a
massive economic development plan centered around the Joliet Arsenal Intermodal Center.
Securing necessary federal stimulus dollars will be crucial to the project. The projected impact
includes vastly improved freight carrying capacity on the Chicago-St. Louis line, and improved service
for Amtrak.
The impact to the Village of Chatham would be significant. A second set of parallel tracks would
have to be constructed through town, and the 107-year-old Chatham Railroad Museum/Depot, which
sits adjacent to the current set of tracks, would be in jeopardy, since it would most likely sit in the
right-of-way of the new set of tracks.
Beyond that, there are other issues. There are possibilities that a crossing in town (South Main?)
would be closed, though that is just speculation. And the high speed set of tracks would include
fencing completely surrounding it, except at the crossings, of course.
And then there is the projected increase in train traffic through town. Currently, 12 trains a day pass
through Chatham. Gray said that number could increase to 40, with freight trains doubling in size
from a mile to two miles long. That 40 number may be a bit on the high side, however, as was
pointed out by local railroad expert and historian Bill Warren at Tuesday's village board meeting.
And Gray said the high speed trains would reach speeds of 110 miles per hour, obviously creating
a safety issue.
As for the second overpass, Gray said he would push for federal dollars to put one south of town,
connecting South Main and Route 4, somewhere probably south of Kemp Drive.
"That's something that's in our long range plan anyway," Gray said. "And the farm crossings, I'm
not sure about those. I could see a bunch of those closing down out in the rural areas.
"It's gonna be a big change, but there's nothing we can do about it," he continued.
Currently, Amtrak trains zip through town at about 60 miles per hour.
If the project gets off the ground, construction is not expected to start for a couple of years, with
estimates showing 2014 as the date for the new set of parallel tracks to be in place.
Village a possibility
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
A second set of tracks through Chatham? High speed rail? And two-mile long freight trains in
constant shuttle from Chicago to St. Louis and back?
Those ideas may sound a bit far-fetched, but local residents in the Village of Chatham will need to
pay attention in the coming years.
The potential impact of this federal project on Sangamon County alone will be significant, and it is
projected to cost over $4 billion dollars, Mayor Tom Gray said.
"I don't like it, but from what I understand, it's a done deal," Gray stated. "I'm hopeful that we may be
able to parlay it into getting an overpass on the south side of Chatham."
There are a lot of unknowns at this point, Gray cautioned, but the wheels are being put into motion
to get this massive project off the ground.
Gray, along with mayors from Williamsville, Sherman and Auburn, met with county administrator
Brian McFadden and Springfield-Sangamon Planning Commission Executive Director Norm Sims
recently, where they heard first-hand about this federal project.
Gray said the impetus behind the proposal comes from the Union Pacific Railroad as part of a
massive economic development plan centered around the Joliet Arsenal Intermodal Center.
Securing necessary federal stimulus dollars will be crucial to the project. The projected impact
includes vastly improved freight carrying capacity on the Chicago-St. Louis line, and improved service
for Amtrak.
The impact to the Village of Chatham would be significant. A second set of parallel tracks would
have to be constructed through town, and the 107-year-old Chatham Railroad Museum/Depot, which
sits adjacent to the current set of tracks, would be in jeopardy, since it would most likely sit in the
right-of-way of the new set of tracks.
Beyond that, there are other issues. There are possibilities that a crossing in town (South Main?)
would be closed, though that is just speculation. And the high speed set of tracks would include
fencing completely surrounding it, except at the crossings, of course.
And then there is the projected increase in train traffic through town. Currently, 12 trains a day pass
through Chatham. Gray said that number could increase to 40, with freight trains doubling in size
from a mile to two miles long. That 40 number may be a bit on the high side, however, as was
pointed out by local railroad expert and historian Bill Warren at Tuesday's village board meeting.
And Gray said the high speed trains would reach speeds of 110 miles per hour, obviously creating
a safety issue.
As for the second overpass, Gray said he would push for federal dollars to put one south of town,
connecting South Main and Route 4, somewhere probably south of Kemp Drive.
"That's something that's in our long range plan anyway," Gray said. "And the farm crossings, I'm
not sure about those. I could see a bunch of those closing down out in the rural areas.
"It's gonna be a big change, but there's nothing we can do about it," he continued.
Currently, Amtrak trains zip through town at about 60 miles per hour.
If the project gets off the ground, construction is not expected to start for a couple of years, with
estimates showing 2014 as the date for the new set of parallel tracks to be in place.
Chatham Clarion
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Issue Date: Sept. 10, 2009