New Amtrak route to run through Elgin, not McHenry

A much anticipated Amtrak route will include Elgin and Rockford, but snubs McHenry County.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced Friday it had selected a proposed southern route that runs from Chicago, through Elgin and Rockford, to Dubuque, Iowa.

The southern route was chosen over a northern route that would have run through Belvidere, and had the possibility for stops in Huntley and Marengo.

According to the route analysis, prepared by engineering design firm URS Corp. and released Nov. 15, approximately 20,000 more riders would be able to take advantage of the southern route over the northern one, and thus, it would bring in more revenue. It would also be much cheaper to upgrade existing infrastructure $26 million on the southern route compared to $62 million on the northern route. The southern route also crosses fewer roads and highways than the northern one 143 compared to 176, according to the study.

IDOT estimates the new route will cost $60 million to build and create 650 construction jobs, with trains running by 2014.

Huntley Village Manager Dave Johnson expressed disappointment over IDOT's choice.

“Ultimately we did spend quite a bit of time meeting with (them) and state representatives. We thought we had a good opportunity, and a win for our community to have additional transportation options.”

Reviewing the URS report “quickly,” Johnson said he was unsure of how the firm came up with ridership numbers.

“We've spent a lot of time planning for commuter rail,” he said. “We'll have to keep working, with the goal of getting Metra out here.”

Elgin Mayor Ed Schock said Saturday he wasn't aware that Elgin had been included in the selected route. “I had heard about Amtrak and Rockford,” he said. “The big motivation is Rockford. This might give them the equivalent of Metra service.”

The Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque line marks the return of passenger rail to the Rockford area for the first time in 30 years. Round-trip trains are expected to run at least once daily between Chicago's Union Station and Dubuque, with stops in Elgin, Genoa, Rockford and Galena.

Schock noted he was “very pleased” because Elgin has a number of workers commuting from Rockford, and that the city is always striving to give residents more non-automobile transportation options.