29:
1272:'s employee timetable dated July 2011 states: "St. Charles Air Line is a connection between Metra 16th St. Interlocking and BNSF Union Ave. BNSF and UP jointly own the line between Union Ave. and a point 70 feet west of the Bascule Bridge over the South Branch of the Chicago River. CN owns the line from that point to 16th St. ... Both tracks are designated Non-Main Track, CN Rule 520 applies, and is also designated East-West. The north track is Track 1, and the south track is Track 2. ... The bridge is controlled by CSX Bridge Tender."
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effort, Amtrak wanted to reroute its
Michigan and East Coast trains onto the St. Charles Air Line after the Union Station direct link was made, and it applied for funding to restore the roughly 1 mile (1.6 km) double-track alignment that CN just removed. However, the funding requests were largely rejected in the December 2023 funding round of the federal government's
1180:
the northern connections were removed. This coincided with the gradual elimination of yards to the north (this area is the
Illinois Center office, hotel, and retail complex today). Central Station closed in 1972 and was razed in 1974. Now the South Leg is the only connection from the IC mainline to the Air Line.
1174:
As originally constructed, the east end of the Air Line connected with the IC with connections that curved to the north to serve both
Central Station and the yards and warehouses through downtown up to the Chicago River. There was a shorter, steeper ramp down for passenger trains to get into Central
1179:
was formed which was occasionally used to turn passenger trains around. The South Leg enables trains using the Air Line to travel directly to and from the south. After the coming of Amtrak in May 1971, the remaining passenger trains were gradually shifted from
Central Station to Union Station and
1295:
In 2022, Amtrak began seeking grants to build a direct connection between the St. Charles Air Line and Union
Station to avoid the switchback maneuver. Amtrak might also try to lease or buy the St. Charles Air Line to relieve congestion for its passenger trains. As part of the congestion relief
222:
1291:
that cross five streets and two alleys. Replacement of the viaduct bridges was finished in 2020, and the entire project was completed in 2021 after the placement of about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) of track.
1175:
Station while a longer, less severe incline was used by freight trains. In 1968, a southward-facing connection was built, generally known as the South Leg because together with the original lines a
1171:
The Air Line's track was originally on ground level with numerous street crossings. In the late 1890s, work was begun to raise the line onto fill and replace the grade crossings with overpasses.
1261:
Extension, and rebuild retaining walls on both lines between the 16th St. interlocking and the
Chicago River. However, this section of the line has been inactive since May 2020 when the adjacent
1417:
164:
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1242:
694:
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neighborhood in
Chicago. The CN also uses it as a freight connection. As of October 2021, a large project was nearing completion to replace a bridge passing over the future
1080:
1148:
also built a line into
Chicago, intersecting the Air Line at Western Avenue. Eventually, the line came under equal control of the four companies that used it: the
1529:
1245:(CREATE) is in the preliminary design phase for the Grand Crossing Project. This project will reroute the passenger trains from St. Charles Air Line to
1475:
1187:
neighborhood. Chicago has since reversed its position, adopting plans to run more transit and intercity passenger trains on the St. Charles Air Line.
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171:
536:
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In the 1980s and 1990s, Chicago city planners wanted to tear down the St. Charles Air Line as part of initiatives to redevelop
Chicago's
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1075:. The Chicago depot would be at the northeast corner of Stewart Avenue and 16th Street. This line would compete with the
1275:
In 2019, CN begin a track realignment program to the east of the St. Charles Air Line Bridge. The realignment changed a
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As of 2011, the St. Charles Air Line hosted six Amtrak trains and about four to five CN freight trains per day.
1346:
1094:, an unincorporated jointly owned line, was formed as a reorganization of the project. It only built from the
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1114:, finished January 1, 1856. (The west end of the jointly owned line was, and still is, the west bank of the
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8:
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Green
Diamond #43 November 1996, publication of the Illinois Central Historical Society
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in an east-west corridor running north of 16th St., which originally consisted of
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at 16th Street interlocking (the CN line then continues towards the shore of
600:
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Proposed federal-state partnership program: Chicago hub improvement program
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crossing the river was elevated due to work on the west side of the river.
1198:, each of which still owns a 1/4 share. The MCRR has sold its share to the
1191:
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1005:
56:
99:
1584:
1471:
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997:
1530:"Amtrak unveils infrastructure plan to transform Chicago operations"
1480:
1418:"Train traffic along 16th Street to decrease, but timeline unclear"
1129:
The planned alignment west of Western Avenue was later used by the
1243:
Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program
1288:
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74:
1390:
1212:
1024:
33:
368:
948:
812:
1619:"Chicago's Union Station to get $ 93 million for upgrades"
1106:, near 14th Street, west along the original alignment to
1395:
Project narrative: Chicago access/Michigan east program
1588:(May 2023). "Restore CN Lakefront Line double track".
1057:
Chicago, St. Charles and Mississippi Air Line Railroad
1659:
Portrait & Biographical Album of Whiteside County
1079:, which thus opposed the project, and chartered the
1027:
passenger trains. The line runs east from south of
1504:"CN begins major work on major intramodal facility"
1137:at St. Charles had influenced predecessors of the
1557:Michigan Association Railroad Passengers briefing
1547:
1110:. From there a connection was built north to the
448:
440:
433:
1669:
1122:began using it to access the Illinois Central's
588:
215:
149:
1298:Corridor Identification and Development Program
321:
313:
306:
1521:
1495:
1464:
165:
1609:
1476:"CN/St. Charles Air Line track realignment"
644:
636:
629:
1347:"Daley asked to help his new neighborhood"
1190:The CB&Q has since become part of the
739:
731:
724:
172:
158:
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1415:
1409:
1337:
669:
661:
654:
1586:Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
1554:James, Derrick L. (September 15, 2022).
1233:utilize this line with a time-consuming
1043:, passing over and then paralleling the
1693:Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
1615:
1445:. CREATE. November 2015. Archived from
1343:
1158:Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
1146:Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
1141:to build their line through that town.
1120:Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
405:
397:
339:
331:
296:
288:
1670:
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1501:
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1194:, and the C&NW is now part of the
1055:The line was chartered in 1852 as the
423:
415:
1553:
1405:– via High Speed Rail Alliance.
1131:Chicago and Northern Pacific Railroad
357:
349:
1416:Studenkov, Igor (January 18, 2012).
1344:Reardon, Patrick T (June 10, 1994).
1616:Struett, David (December 6, 2023).
1383:
1263:St. Charles Air Line Bascule Bridge
13:
14:
1724:
1698:Chicago and North Western Railway
1502:Lassen, David (January 7, 2022).
1287:laid over two parallel series of
1166:Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
1162:Chicago and North Western Railway
1118:.) On March 30, the G&CU and
1112:Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
1077:Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
1314:
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266:
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27:
1713:Canadian National Railway lines
1528:Lassen, David (June 10, 2022).
802:
788:
754:
684:
577:
556:
514:
487:
388:
253:
42:traverses the Air Line in 2010.
1432:
907:
761:
715:
708:
695:Amtrak 16th Street Diesel Shop
620:
1:
1330:
1139:Chicago Great Western Railway
1039:, where it turns south under
933:
926:
900:
829:
677:
480:
267:
260:
199:
1708:Union Pacific Railroad lines
1019:It is currently used by the
795:
7:
1319:Geographic data related to
1310:St. Charles Air Line Bridge
1303:
836:
593:St. Charles Air Line Bridge
521:
473:
10:
1729:
1050:
1023:for freight trains and by
1688:Michigan Central Railroad
1683:Illinois Central Railroad
1653:Railroad History Database
1565:Amtrak Government Affairs
1270:Canadian National Railway
1204:Canadian National Railway
1200:Illinois Central Railroad
1154:Michigan Central Railroad
1150:Illinois Central Railroad
1100:Michigan Central Railroad
1096:Illinois Central Railroad
1083:from St. Charles west to
1033:Canadian National Railway
1021:Canadian National Railway
1014:Canadian National Railway
1004:, partially owned by the
941:
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870:
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279:
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134:
98:
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52:
47:
26:
21:
371:Joliet Sub District for
16:Rail corridor in Chicago
1241:from its west end. The
1081:Dixon Air Line Railroad
1678:Rail lines in Illinois
1428:on September 23, 2015.
1255:Greater Grand Crossing
1196:Union Pacific Railroad
1059:, planned to run from
1010:Union Pacific Railroad
1452:on September 29, 2020
1321:St. Charles Air Line
1092:St. Charles Air Line
994:St. Charles Air Line
501:Freeport Subdivision
22:St. Charles Air Line
1657:Brandi McLoughlin,
1440:"P4 Grand Crossing"
1397:(Grant application)
1285:four elevated lines
1218:City of New Orleans
1202:, now owned by the
1133:, and piers in the
1045:Metra Electric Line
1031:to a junction with
952:Chicago Subdivision
816:Chicago Subdivision
460:State Street Subway
223:Chicago Subdivision
1703:BNSF Railway lines
1164:(successor to the
1098:(also used by the
1625:Chicago Sun-Times
1474:(July 29, 2019).
1065:Mississippi River
1002:Chicago, Illinois
990:
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1424:. Archived from
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1402:
1393:(May 23, 2022).
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1247:Norfolk Southern
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1185:Near South Side
1124:Central Station
1090:Eventually the
1085:Dixon, Illinois
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1041:McCormick Place
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1356:. p. A8.
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1108:Western Avenue
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128:standard gauge
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1637:. Retrieved
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1537:. Retrieved
1533:
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1507:
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1485:. Retrieved
1479:
1466:
1454:. Retrieved
1447:the original
1434:
1426:the original
1421:
1411:
1399:. Retrieved
1385:
1373:. Retrieved
1351:
1339:
1294:
1281:single track
1277:double-track
1274:
1267:
1259:Wells Street
1251:Chicago Line
1228:
1222:
1216:
1211:
1208:
1192:BNSF Railway
1189:
1182:
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1143:
1091:
1089:
1063:west to the
1056:
1054:
1018:
1006:BNSF Railway
993:
991:
775:Chicago Line
603:south branch
541:
231:Richton Park
146:
37:
1639:January 31,
1601:January 31,
1570:January 31,
1539:January 22,
1487:January 22,
1472:Dowell, Pat
1456:January 11,
1401:January 31,
1375:January 31,
1279:section to
1073:St. Charles
235:New Orleans
100:Track gauge
1672:Categories
1597:(Brochure)
1370:1973562443
1331:References
1235:switchback
1012:(UP), and
1634:1553-8478
1513:March 12,
1362:1085-6706
1135:Fox River
998:rail line
140:Route map
94:Technical
1481:Nextdoor
1366:ProQuest
1304:See also
1289:viaducts
885: /
119: in
48:Overview
1253:in the
1069:Savanna
1061:Chicago
1051:History
114:⁄
81:History
75:Chicago
1661:(1885)
1632:
1534:Trains
1508:Trains
1391:Amtrak
1368:
1360:
1230:Saluki
1227:, and
1224:Illini
1213:Amtrak
1025:Amtrak
1016:(CN).
956:Aurora
182:Legend
147:
86:Opened
71:Locale
39:Saluki
34:Amtrak
1595:(PDF)
1561:(PDF)
1450:(PDF)
1443:(PDF)
1237:into
1102:) on
996:is a
608:
587:
369:Metra
241:
214:
53:Owner
1641:2024
1630:ISSN
1603:2024
1572:2024
1541:2024
1515:2024
1489:2024
1458:2018
1403:2024
1377:2024
1358:ISSN
1268:The
1160:and
1144:The
1071:via
992:The
949:BNSF
887:I-94
883:I-90
813:BNSF
595:over
537:BOCT
233:and
89:1856
57:BNSF
1323:at
1249:'s
1215:'s
1177:wye
1168:).
1067:at
1047:).
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539:to
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498:CN
374:RI
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61:UP
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