Planned Amtrak Service to Rockford

As reported last week, there is $275 million in the state budget to provide Amtrak passenger service from Rockford to Chicago back.

Background information was sought and here’s what was found:

The route that would run from Elgin stopping at Huntley and Belvidere.

Competition

Burlington Trailways costs about $22 to get from the bus station across from the Winnebago County Courthouse to Chicago’s Downtown Greyhound Station.


Comments

Planned Amtrak Service to Rockford — 12 Comments

  1. Why would anyone with a >50 IQ think this rail line is necessary?

  2. Sunshine blogger, you are exempt from answering that question. Stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meeeeeoooooooowwwwwwwwwwww…

  3. Van Galder offers 19 scheduled trips per day from Rockford to O’Hare for a $21.00. It has 13 scheduled trips per day from Rockford to the Loop for $22.50.

    Including amortization of the capital cost over 30 years, the total annual cost of the proposed Amtak service will be around $23 million per year.

    Therefore, to cover the annual cost, and assuming the price will be competitive with the service offered by Van Galder, the new Amtrak line will have to sell more than one million tickets per year.

    Rockford only has a population of 150,000.

    That there is an unmet demand of one million rides per year from a city of 150,000 strikes me as highly unlikely.

    Or, to put it more bluntly, the proposed service is duplicative and will run at a tremendous loss subsidized by the taxpayers.

  4. Having been informed that poster “Angel R. Lavona” works as a ‘teacher’ to supposedly educate public school students in a language NOT the official language in this country he is supporting the creation of a ‘slave’ class in this country.

    I will not support in any way a person who poses as a ‘progressive’ but displays a behavior supportive of slavery and will no longer respond to any of his posts.

  5. Out of Towner, that leap of logic (and I use that word very loosely) is sort of impressive.

    And FYI you never have to respond to anyone’s posts for any reason.

    Hope that helps.

  6. Nuts. Crazy. But, not unexpected from the legislature (Democrat controlled) of the worst State of the U.S. fiscally. Illinois has a Democrat Legislature and a dumbo Democrat governor who refuse to do anything to fix the $140 Billion Government Pension funds shortfall. This is the S-hole State of the U.S.

    Expect to see more crazy schemes and ideas from this legislature.

  7. This will happen just like route 53 connecting to Wisconson back in the 60’s.

    Not in our lifetime.

    I would not worry about it.

  8. Out of towner has just “triggered” low I.Q. Little Joey Blowhard.

    What a great way to start the day !

    Cograts to you, Out of towner and keep up the good work.

  9. Marge Everett’s racetrack didn’t get built in Richmond either.

  10. IDOT has to be the worst agency of all 50 States. The 53 extension to WISC was talked about 50-60 years ago WHEN there was lots of open land to do the route. Nothing happened. Never will.

    IDOT has terrible planning compared to other States. They cannot anticipate growth and the need to plan and build proper roads.

    About 50 years ago, planners should have expected growth along the Randall Road corridor and provided a freeway type road with frontage roads and cloverleafs at major intersections such as at 72 and at Algonquin Road.

    Route 59 is another example of a road that could have been limited access about 50 years ago.

  11. The right-of-way has been purchased with state tax dollars and then given to the Tollway.

  12. Speaking of the Rt.53 extension, and it not being built, I would like to see Long Grove paved over.

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