The more that time passes, the more this "High Speed Rail" initiative funded largely by appropriations under ARRA09 ("Stimulus"), appears to be an upgrade of a Union Pacific freight route at taxpayer expense.
When I hear of operating practices such as tucking a Lincoln Service train behind a freight on a siding, waiting for a meet with opposite direction traffic, backing the Lincoln onto the main, then running around the other train smacks me as a "shame on you" moment. The funds were appropriated to build a 110mph predominately passenger line over the C&A/GM&O/CMW/SP/UP and not a freight line for "Uncle Pete", who already has a Chi-Stl line (C&EI).
But the UP is now so heavily vested with its
Intermodal terminal near Joliet, there's "no turning back". If the Administrators of this ostensible "HSR" project intended to have "fluid" passenger train operations, including "ten a day" frequency, as well as accepting that UP was expanding their operations on THEIR line, then first step would have been to restore the double tracking that existed until 1968. Otherwise, who knows when or if this "HSR" will be operational.
disclaimer: author holds long position UNP