Rock Island District

Rock Island District
Rock Island District
	Rock Island trains at LaSalle.
Overview
Owner	Metra (LaSalle Street Station to Blue Island) CSX (South of Blue Island)
Termini	LaSalle Street Station; Joliet;
Stations	26
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	Metra
Operator(s)	Metra, CSX, Iowa Interstate Railroad, Chicago Rail Link
Daily ridership	32,100 (Avg. Weekday 2009)
Technical
Line length	40.2 (6.7 Suburban Branch from Gresham Jct. to Blue Island)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map
Route map
	◇ = under construction
	Legend
	IC West to Randolph Street
	Amtrak to Carbondale & New Orleans
	IC West to Addison
	Amtrak to Union Station
	Green to Harlem/Lake
	Orange to the Loop
	3.2 mi
	5.1 km
	Chicago "L"
	Stock Yards branch
	to Michigan, D.C.,
	New York, and Boston
	6.7 mi
	10.8 km
	7.2 mi
	11.6 km
	7.8 mi
	12.6 km
	8.6 mi
	13.8 km
	9.8 mi
	15.8 km
	10.6 mi
	17.1 km
	SouthEast Service
	Proposed
	11.3 mi
	18.2 km
	11.7 mi
	18.8 km
	10.9 mi
	17.5 km
	12.3 mi
	19.8 km
	11.4 mi
	18.3 km
	12.8 mi
	20.6 km
	12.0 mi
	19.3 km
	13.3 mi
	21.4 km
	13.8 mi
	22.2 km
	12.9 mi
	20.8 km
	14.3 mi
	23 km
	14.8 mi
	23.8 km
	15.2 mi
	24.5 km
	15.8 mi
	25.4 km
	16.4 mi
	26.4 km
	15.7 mi
	25.3 km
	17.2 mi
	27.7 km
	18.4 mi
	29.6 km
	20.4 mi
	32.8 km
	23.5 mi
	37.8 km
	25.1 mi
	40.4 km
	27.0 mi
	43.5 km
	29.6 mi
	47.6 km
	to Union Station
	to Manhattan
	34.0 mi
	54.7 km
	40.0 mi
	64.4 km
	Amtrak
	to St. Louis & San Antonio
Key
	Mileage source All stations are accessible except; Gresham, 123rd Street, and Prairie Street.
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

The Rock Island District (RI) is a Metra commuter rail line from Chicago, Illinois, southwest to Joliet. Metra does not refer to its lines by color, but the timetable accents for the Rock Island District line are "Rocket Red". This refers to the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad's Rocket passenger trains.^[3]

History

The Suburban Line was built in 1870 as a steam dummy line, splitting from the main line just north of 99th Street, running west along 99th and turning south to the present line at the S-curve just south of 99th. The crossing of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway midway along 99th was known as Dummy Crossing. In the early 1890s the line was extended north to 89th Street in conjunction with the expansion of the Chicago Terminal Transfer Railroad, and the portion on 99th was removed.

The track is owned by Metra, bought from the bankrupt Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad for $35 million in December 1982. The Regional Transportation Authority had signed a contract with the Rock Island in 1976 to fund service, and in 1980 the Chicago and North Western Railway began operating the Rock Island District. In spring 1981 the C&NW stepped away, and the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (Metra) was formed to take over operations. Through freight trains on the line are operated by CSX and Iowa Interstate Railroad on a trackage rights agreement. In addition, Chicago Rail Link has rights to operate local freight service on the whole district, and it also uses the line between Gresham Wye and Blue Island^[which?] to connect with the Iowa Interstate and Indiana Harbor Belt Railroads.

A new station at 35th Street and Federal Street opened on April 3, 2011 to serve U.S. Cellular Field and the Illinois Institute of Technology. It was named 35th Street/'Lou' Jones/Bronzeville Station after Lovana Jones who was an Illinois State Representative in the Bronzeville neighborhood.^[4]

The Englewood Flyover, an overpass located in the Chicago neighborhood of Englewood, eliminated delays for the Rock Island. The overpass replaced a diamond crossing with the Norfolk Southern's Chicago Line.^[5] The overpass proposed by Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE), which cost $142 million to construct, was completed in October 2014.^[6]

Service

The February 2018 timetable shows 33 trains out of Chicago each weekday, of which 9 terminate at Blue Island, 23 at Joliet, and 1 at Tinley Park. Originally the train that terminates at Tinley Park terminated at New Lenox. The February 2018 timetable also shows 34 weekday trains in to Chicago of which 22 start at Joliet. The remaining 12 start at Blue Island-Vermont Street. Weekend express trains run through to Joliet, while weekend local trains make a short run to Blue Island. A few locals however, run down to Joliet.

The Rock Island District consists of the former Rock Island main line to Joliet and the slightly longer Suburban Line that loops to the west between Gresham and Blue Island. Most trains use the latter; the two stations on that part of the main line are served only during rush hour and during weekend express operations.

In June 2015, Metra began weekend express service on the Rock Island District. The six express trains that operate on both Saturday and Sunday run express from 35th Street to Blue Island-Vermont Street before making all stops to Joliet, bypassing the entire Beverly branch. Local trains run as well, making all stops on the Beverly branch and terminating at Blue Island-Vermont Street. This cuts about 20 minutes off the trips from Blue Island to downtown.^[7] On August 23, 2015, Metra announced that the weekend express service would become permanent upon completion of the trial period on November 29, 2015.

The Rock Island District runs a few empty equipment move (deadhead) trains, most during the weekdays. Inbound deadheads are scheduled between the Joliet, Mokena-Front Street, and Tinley Park stations and run to Blue Island-Vermont Street.

There are proposals to extend the line from Joliet to LaSalle-Peru in LaSalle County with intermediate stations at Rockdale, Minooka, Morris, Seneca, Marseilles, Ottawa and several others. A feasibility study was completed in 2003.^[8]

Stations

Zone	Station	Municipality	County	Notes
A	Template:Metra stations	Chicago	Cook	Connections: CTA "L" lines: Brown, Pink, Orange, and Purple Line Express (at LaSalle/Van Buren), and Blue Line (at LaSalle) CTA buses: 1 Bronzeville/Union Station, 7 Harrison, 22 Clark, 24 Wentworth, 36 Broadway, 126 Jackson, 130 Museum Campus, 132 Goose Island Express, 151 Sheridan, and 156 LaSalle ChicaGo Dash
A	Template:Metra stations			Flag Stop^[9] Points of interest: Guaranteed Rate Field, Illinois Institute of Technology, Shimer College, Chicago Police Headquarters, and De La Salle Institute Connections: CTA "L" lines: Red Line (at Sox–35th), Green Line (at 35th–Bronzeville–IIT) CTA buses: 24 Wentworth, 31 31st, 35 31st/35th, and 39 Pershing Pace buses: 773 Markham/Tinley Park-Guaranteed Rate Field Express, 774 Palos Heights/Oak Lawn-Guaranteed Rate Field Express, 775 Bolingbrook/Burr Ridge-Guaranteed Rate Field Express
B	Englewood			Closed late 1970s Connections: New York Central intercity trains Pennsylvania Railroad intercity trains Nickel Plate intercity trains
	Normal Park			Closed
	Hamilton Park			Closed
	Auburn Park			Closed
	Template:Metra stations			Connections: CTA buses: 8A South Halsted, 24 Wentworth, 87 87th, and N87 87th
C	Template:Metra stations
	Template:Metra stations
	Template:Metra stations			Connections: CTA buses: 95 95th Pace buses: 381 95th Street, and 395 95th/Dan Ryan CTA Station/UPS Hodgkins
	Template:Metra stations			Main line (rush hour only) Connections: CTA buses: N9 Ashland, 95 95th, and 112 Vincennes/111th Pace buses: 381 95th Street, and 395 95th/Dan Ryan CTA Station/UPS Hodgkins
	Template:Metra stations
	Template:Metra stations			Connections: CTA buses: 103 West 103rd
	Template:Metra stations
	Template:Metra stations			Main line (rush hour only) Connections: CTA buses: 9 Ashland, 103 West 103rd, and 112 Vincennes/111th
	Template:Metra stations			Connections: CTA buses: 112 Vincennes/111th
	Template:Metra stations
	Template:Metra stations	Blue Island		Connections: CTA buses: 119 Michigan/119th
D	Template:Metra stations			Flag Stop
	Template:Metra stations			Flag Stop
	Template:Metra stations			Connections: Metra trains: Metra Electric (at Blue Island) Pace buses: 348 Harvey/Riverdale/Blue Island, 349 South Western, 359 Robbins/South Kedzie Avenue, and 385 87th/111th/127th
	Template:Metra stations	Robbins		Flag Stop Connections: Pace buses: 359 Robbins/South Kedzie Avenue
	Template:Metra stations	Midlothian		Connections: Pace buses: 354 Harvey/Oak Forest Loop
E	Template:Metra stations	Oak Forest		Connections: Pace buses: 354 Harvey/Oak Forest Loop, 364 159th Street, and 383 South Cicero
	Template:Metra stations	Tinley Park		Connections: Pace buses: 386 South Harlem
	Template:Metra stations	Tinley Park
F	Template:Metra stations	Mokena	Will
F	Template:Metra stations	Mokena
G	Template:Metra stations	New Lenox
H	Template:Metra stations	Joliet		Connections: Metra trains: Heritage Corridor Amtrak trains: Lincoln Service, Texas Eagle Pace buses: 501 West Jefferson, 504 South Joliet, 505 West Joliet Loop, 507 Plainfield, 508 East Joliet, 509 Forest Park, 511 Joliet–Elwood–Deer Run, 832 Joliet – Orland Square, and 834 Joliet – Downers Grove

References

^ "Ridership Reports - System Facts". Metra. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ State of the System - Rock Island
^ "Did you know?" (PDF). On the Bi-Level: 3. June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-02. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Metra. "Metra to open new station at 35th St. in time for White Sox home opener". Archived from the original on 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2011-12-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "P1 63rd and State (Englewood) Flyover" (PDF). CREATE. October 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
^ Wronski, Richard (October 23, 2014). "'Flyover' aimed at cutting rail congestion". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
^ Sullivan, Dennis (May 28, 2015). "Weekend express trains starting on Rock Island Line". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
^ Illinois Valley Commuter Rail Feasibility Study (PDF) (Report). CTE Engineers, LTK Engineering Services. August 2003. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-10. Retrieved 2011-04-03. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Bronzeville Jones Station Page

J. David Ingles, Metra: "Best Commuter Train", Trains July 1993

External links

KML file (edit • help)

Template:Attached KML/Rock Island District

KML is from Wikidata

Metra / Rock Island schedules

Media related to Metra Rock Island District at Wikimedia Commons

[1] "Ridership Reports - System Facts". Metra. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[2] State of the System - Rock Island

[3] "Did you know?" (PDF). On the Bi-Level: 3. June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-02. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[4] Metra. "Metra to open new station at 35th St. in time for White Sox home opener". Archived from the original on 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2011-12-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[5] "P1 63rd and State (Englewood) Flyover" (PDF). CREATE. October 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2018.

[6] Wronski, Richard (October 23, 2014). "'Flyover' aimed at cutting rail congestion". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 11, 2018.

[7] Sullivan, Dennis (May 28, 2015). "Weekend express trains starting on Rock Island Line". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 11, 2018.

[8] Illinois Valley Commuter Rail Feasibility Study (PDF) (Report). CTE Engineers, LTK Engineering Services. August 2003. Retrieved January 15, 2018.

[9] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-10. Retrieved 2011-04-03. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Bronzeville Jones Station Page

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History

Service

Stations

See also

References

External links