Plan supports more trains from Elburn to Chicago

A plan to add more than 20 trains along the Union Pacific-West line from Elburn to Chicago has the support of the Kane County Board's transportation committee.

The committee on Monday voted to recommend the full board pass a resolution backing improvements to the 44-mile train line.

"This project would give us several more trains a day and many more options," said committee chairman Jan Carlson, who represents the geographic area at the end of the line.

Metra is seeking local government support for the plan so it can move forward.

As proposed, service would be expanded from 59 to up to 80 trains per day. Express trains operating during rush hour would grow from 20 to as many as 30 daily.

More than 632,000 passenger trips per month take place on the Union Pacific-West line, according to Metra.

Metra officials also want to add another track between the Elmhurst and River Forest stations so more express trains can pass through. A bottleneck where the Union Pacific-West, Milwaukee District West, Milwaukee District North and North Central Service lines meet in Chicago -- the busiest rail crossing in northeastern Illinois -- also would be restructured.

But federal funding for Metra's $441 million plan might not come until the end of 2008. And work would not be completed until up to five years from now, Metra officials said.

Riders can comment on the plan by visiting www.metraconnects.metrarail.com, clicking on "UP-West Line" and selecting "feedback."