I may have been wrong to be disappointed seeing the latest round of grants gave $120 million for Chicago Union Station improvements but didn't fund other CHIP items -- the ones more important for reliability and speed.
A poster on Reddit pointed out that Amtrak already included $175 million for CHIP in its FY 2024 budget request.
I do realize the federal budget still up in the air, of course. But I hadn't realized Amtrak might be planning to fund much of CHIP out of its budget. That makes me more optimistic CHIP may get done in the near term.
There are different estimates for the cost of CHIP. The Sun-Times mentions $850 million. Trains, back in 2022 showed about $420 million
plus unknowns. Here is the Trains itemization:
- $132 million -- Union Station improvements, which were funded last week, the remainder of CHIP was estimated at
$146 million - Airline to Union Station
$20 million - replacing displaced functions
$91 million - Airline to Rock Island District, plus Joliet platform
$20 million in double-tracking in Michigan, a hugely important improvement to MI services but not inherently part of solving the South Side Swamp
Unknown Cost - buying part of the underused Kensington line along the lake; and paying the South Shore for access to its mostly Indiana trackage.
Is it possible they've received information from CN and the South Shore, and that's the difference between the Trains itemization from 2022 and the Sun-Times figure earlier this year? Would those two things potentially cost $400 million?
At any rate, realizing Amtrak had already sought money that is close to the cost of the Union Station-St. Charles Air Line access and accommodating displaced functions makes me feel better about prospects here.