Genoa-South Elgin Amtrak route edges out Belvidere

A more neutral view of the Amtrak train decision.

Weber said the research that is needed to prove or disprove Belvidere's contention could not have been finished in time for the stimulus funds application.

Also, the (Genoa) route follows one railroad through its entire corridor," while the Belvidere route would require switching from Metra tracks to Union Pacific tracks to Canadian National tracks, Weber said. "When a train gets handed off from one company to another, we've found that has a negative impact on service dependability."

two construction seasons to upgrade the rail line, build stations, adjust crossing signals to reflect the greater speeds used by passenger trains, build a place for the Amtrak train to park overnight in Dubuque, etc. He said service probably could begin in early 2012.

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