HR1060 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1060 LRB095 20306 WGH 47368 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Amtrak service between Chicago, Homewood, Kankakee, Gilman, Rantoul, Champaign-Urbana, Mattoon, Effingham, Centralia, Du Quoin, and Carbondale is a vital economic development tool; and

WHEREAS, The City of New Orleans train serves these communities, as well as the communities of Fulton, Kentucky, Newbern-Dyersburg, Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, Greenwood, Mississippi, Yazoo City, Mississippi, Jackson, Mississippi, Hazlehurst, Mississippi, Brookhaven, Mississippi, McComb, Mississippi, Hammond, Louisiana, and New Orleans, Louisiana with one daily round trip; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois finances 2 additional daily trains, the Illini and the Saluki, for a total of 3 daily round trips; and

WHEREAS, Since the State of Illinois financed the second daily round trip in 2006, ridership has grown at exceptional rates, showing the enormous demand for the service; and

WHEREAS, Illinois is now a national model for Amtrak expansion; and

WHEREAS, The tracks are owned and maintained by the Canadian National Railway Company; and

WHEREAS, The Canadian National Railway Company has been a responsible partner with Amtrak and the State of Illinois in providing relatively on-time performance for Amtrak trains on the route; and

WHEREAS, There is no direct connection between Canadian National tracks and Chicago's Union Station, requiring Amtrak trains to stop and then travel in a reverse direction at low speeds into Chicago's Union Station; and

WHEREAS, This lack of a direct connection causes travel delays of 15 to 20 minutes; and

WHEREAS The additional 15 to 20 minutes of travel time is the main reason why current Amtrak service is not faster than driving for northbound travel; and

WHEREAS, The additional 15 to 20 minutes of travel time makes Amtrak service a less powerful economic development tool for Illinois communities and particularly hurts the economic progress of Southern and Central Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The best method for eliminating this 15 to 20 minute delay is to build a rail interchange connection between the Canadian National tracks and the Norfolk Southern tracks near 76th Street in Chicago in an area known as Grand Crossing; and

WHEREAS, Building the Grand Crossing interchange will allow a direct connection for Amtrak trains to Chicago's Union Station and eliminate the 15 to 20 minute delay; and

WHEREAS, Canadian National has announced plans to purchase the EJ&E Railway that loops through Chicago's suburbs; and

WHEREAS, Such a purchase would eliminate the value of the current track used by Amtrak from the area known as Grand Crossing to Chicago's Union Station for Canadian National, leading to its eventual abandonment; and

WHEREAS, The cost of maintaining the track between 76th Street and Chicago's Union Station would then be borne by Amtrak at an unknown cost; and

WHEREAS, Canadian National has filed a request with the federal Surface Transportation Board seeking required approval for this purchase of the EJ&E Railway; and

WHEREAS, Federal regulators with the Surface Transportation Board are charged with considering the public interest in deciding whether to approve or deny Canadian National's proposed purchase of the EJ&E Railway; and

WHEREAS, There are many other issues that affect Chicago suburban communities regarding the proposed purchase by the Canadian National of the EJ&E Railway, notable increased freight traffic for many communities; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that it is State policy that the 15 to 20 minute delay in Amtrak's travel time be eliminated; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Grand Crossing Connection be built and operational for Amtrak service as at least one condition before federal regulators approve the purchase by Canadian National of the EJ&E Railway; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Grand Crossing Connection be built and operational before the St. Charles Air Line is ever dismantled; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to the mayors of each of the communities served by the City of New Orleans, the Illini, and the Saluki trains, the Surface Transportation Board, the governors and legislative leaders of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and the congressional delegations of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Illinois.