Metra Files for Adverse Abandonment of Omnitrax/CRL Root Street Wye

PDF: AB_1337_0

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Metra seeks these waivers in conjunction with a proposed adverse abandonment of OmniTRAX/Chicago Rail Link’s (“CRL”) authority to conduct rail operations and related ownership rights over a portion of a 3,246-foot-long line of railroad known as the Root Street Wye located in Chicago, Illinois. Specifically, the portion of the Root Street Wye
with respect to which Metra will seek abandonment authority is located at the level of East 40th Street on Chicago’s South Side extending from S. Princeton Avenue on the west side to Metra’s Rock Island Branch at the I-90 Expressway on the east side (the “Line”). Based on a thorough review of all available documents, Metra has determined that CRL owns the Line.

I assume this proceeding is in pursuance of the north-south connection project described here? https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/5/17/ ... train-line

Why is this filing necessary - is it just arcane requirements of railroad law even with two willing parties, or are Omnitrax, while not using it themselves, refusing to make a reasonable conveyance arrangement with an operator who would put it to productive use?

JS and DM: I remember the three bridges of the "Root Street Wye" over the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-94)
If I am correct the two curved viaduct sections were used at some point to turn locomotives being serviced
at the nearby former Rock Island "Rocket House" shop facilities - and were built in the 1960s for future line
extensions such as the mentioned North-South Link around Downtown Chicago...

The overview picture shows tracks on the two Root Street Wye curved bridges...Wonder when the wye tracks
were last used...The concern is now the bridges themselves being unused and without any rail maintenance...
Unless Metra actually constructs this new bypass route renovating these bridges will be low priority - at best
with the future "Fiscal Cliff" funding problems that Metra is facing during the remainder of the 2020s decade...

A final last option would be demolishing the three unused Root Street Wye bridges - a significant cost for
Illinois DOT along with the potential traffic and transit problems for drivers and CTA Dan Ryan Line riders...
It will be cheaper and less disruptive to keep the Root Street Wye bridges along with some rehabilitation...
MACTRAXX