eolesen wrote: ↑Fri Sep 23, 2022 8:41 pm
I find it amusing that this is being billed as benefiting Metra. The Rockwell Line doesn't carry any Metra traffic (nor will it) and hasn't seen passenger traffic since 1971 if even before that. The PRR came up parallel to the Rockwell from Ogden Junction before turning east to parallel the Milwaukee...
Not quite. The PRR there was the ex-Panhandle and when it turned east, it did not parallel the Milwaukee Road, it shared the tracks. These tracks from Western Avenue (A-2) to CUS were known as the North Joint Tracks because they were owned jointly by the PRR and the MILW. They were originally 100% Panhandle but at some point, a 50% interest was sold to the Milwaukee Road. Tracks 1, 2, and 3 are now owned by Metra up to Canal Street (where Amtrak ownership begins as part of Amtrak owning CUS). Track 4 was used as an industrial track to reach the now closed (I believe) ADM facility and as AFAIK, owned by NS as part of what they acquired in the Conrail breakup. With the former Panhandle abandoned south of A-2, NS used trackage rights on the Rockwell to reach this track which had no direct connection to any other NS track.