Moline-Chicago passenger rail needs federal intervention

[cigaretteman]

he future of Moline's long-planned passenger rail to Chicago now appears to rest with Amtrak.
Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati announced Monday that negotiations had broken down between the Illinois Department of Transportation and Iowa Interstate Railroad in the state's quest to access the rail line for Moline-to-Chicago passenger service.
“We’re here to make sure our constituents know that the Iowa Interstate Railroad appears more interested in corporate welfare and someone else paying the bill for their track improvements than in being a good partner and bringing passenger rail to Moline,” Rayapati said.
About $400 million in state and federal funding is committed to the downtown project, but it is contingent upon cooperation with Iowa Interstate Railroad, or IAIS. The stopper, the mayor said, is money.

The rail company keeps "moving the goal post" in negotiations with the state, the mayor said, adding, "It always comes down to money."
"Our most recent update from our public partners makes it even more clear that this project is even further out of reach or off of an appropriate timeline for our city," she said. "Because of this reality, as the leader of the city of Moline, I am not willing to wait any longer ... for the railroad to do what is right."

The best hope for the project now is to get Amtrak, the passenger rail carrier, to go to bat for them, local and state officials said.
State Sen. Mike Halpin said at Monday's news conference that federal law gave Amtrak the authority to appeal the matter to the Surface Transportation Board.

"Passenger rail is supposed to have priority under federal law," Halpin said.

The federal law that allows this oversight has been in play for about 25 years, he said. Generally, Amtrak and the DOT prefer to meet and negotiate how federal and state governments can contribute to improving the project. Being called upon by public officials is unusual, he said.

"This is somewhat of a last resort. We don't like to compel private companies to do things, but when they (Iowa Interstate Railroad) are not coming to the table in good faith, it's time to take a different approach," Halpin said.

A spokesperson for Amtrak said Monday that it already had tried to help state transportation officials.

Update: Moline-Chicago passenger rail needs federal intervention

Moline leaders accuse rail company of holding Amtrak project hostage for money.

qconline.com

 

[ThorneStockton]

The story is pretty light on the actual dispute.

 

[torbee]

The story is pretty light on the actual dispute.

It is a ridiculous position IAIS is taking.

Basically, Iowa Interstate owns 50 miles of track near Wyanet Illinois that needs to be upgraded to accommodate passenger trains. The IDOT and federal government have enough funds to upgrade that track, without Iowa Interstate having to spend a dime of their own money. However, in the negotiations, they keep demanding more money and more track upgrades --- basically, they are hoping that the government is so desperate to get this project done that it will shower them with enough taxpayer money to upgrade ALL their track in Illinois and the government-side negotiators have told them no way, that is extortion.

Keep in mind, Iowa Interstate has ZERO incentive to accommodate passenger rail, in fact, every year the project is delayed, the better it is for the bottom line, as they don't have to share track and can thus run more and more efficient freight routes on it. They have been negotiating in bad faith since 2009.

This is a case of a terrible corporate citizen trying to suckle the teat of government and have their own commercial interests subsidized by taxpayers. They also have the benefit that the preponderance of rail law was written in the late 19th Century by railroad lawyers and lobbyist who wielded tremendous power thanks to the robber baron railroad owners. In many cases, that ridiculously one-sided, pro-rail legislation remains on the books.

 

[ICHerky]

Bad investment anyway, this deal should die so looks like we’re on the right track.

 

[SSG T]

It is a ridiculous position IAIS is taking.

Basically, Iowa Interstate owns 50 miles of track near Wyanet Illinois that needs to be upgraded to accommodate passenger trains. The IDOT and federal government have enough funds to upgrade that track, without Iowa Interstate having to spend a dime of their own money. However, in the negotiations, they keep demanding more money and more track upgrades --- basically, they are hoping that the government is so desperate to get this project done that it will shower them with enough taxpayer money to upgrade ALL their track in Illinois and the government-side negotiators have told them no way, that is extortion.

Keep in mind, Iowa Interstate has ZERO incentive to accommodate passenger rail, in fact, every year the project is delayed, the better it is for the bottom line, as they don't have to share track and can thus run more and more efficient freight routes on it. They have been negotiating in bad faith since 2009.

This is a case of a terrible corporate citizen trying to suckle the teat of government and have their own commercial interests subsidized by taxpayers. They also have the benefit that the preponderance of rail law was written in the late 19th Century by railroad lawyers and lobbyist who wielded tremendous power thanks to the robber baron railroad owners. In many cases, that ridiculously one-sided, pro-rail legislation remains on the books.

Unregulated capitalism...gotta love it

 

[torbee]

Bad investment anyway, this deal should die so looks like we’re on the right track.

Wrong.

The City of Moline has already spend over $15 million in federal and state dollars to build a station. It has sat empty since 2018 because Iowa Interstate refuses to negotiate in good faith. That is YOUR tax dollars wasted thanks to a company that has repeatedly lied, negotiated in bad faith and is attempting to hoover up MORE tax dollars on non-project related items that benefit solely its bottom line and not the overall taxpaying public.

 

[markfromj]

How is track okay for freight but not for passenger? Speed it can support?

 

[Mayland]

How is track okay for freight but not for passenger? Speed it can support?

That’s a good question. Generally freight track can easily support passenger cars because of the much lighter weight. I can’t imagine speeds could be much different. Freight trains can travel 80-90 mph safely on good rail.

 

[torbee]

How is track okay for freight but not for passenger? Speed it can support?

A lot depends on speeds traveled, braking, etc. Here is some info I found on the 6 different classes of rail in the U.S. As you increase speed and passengers, you need a higher classification. I don't know for sure, but am presuming, the 50-mile or so gap in Illinois is for lower-speed freight primarily and would not be approved for passenger rail use:

Track classifications | Trains Magazine

Track classifications determine the maximum speeds allowed on various segments of the nation's 177,200 miles of track in service.

www.trains.com

So if the 50-mile stretch is only Class 2 track, that would only allow passenger trains to travel at 30 mph which would obviously be way too slow for it to be efficient.

 

[QChawks]

not this shit again

let this project die already

 

[General Tso]

Nobody needs federal intervention to railroad OP's mom

 

[torbee]

not this shit again

let this project die already

So you are in favor of throwing away the tens of millions of taxpayer dollars already spent based on promises that are not being kept?

I thought you were in favor of fiscal responsibility.

 

[JRHawk2003]

The Railroads have a lot of power.

There are few corporations in America more powerful than Union Pacific.

 

[bhawk24bob]

So you are in favor of throwing away the tens of millions of taxpayer dollars already spent based on promises that are not being kept?

I thought you were in favor of fiscal responsibility.

This is the game with rail projects. The money s spent on impact studies. In a decade, more will be spent on new impact studies because these will be outdated.

I'm sorry, but you will either have to take the bus or drive if you want to go watch cubs games, which iirc was the benefit you personally envisioned. Or you could move somewhere near the dozen trains that can get you near the red line

 

[torbee]

This is the game with rail projects. The money s spent on impact studies. In a decade, more will be spent on new impact studies because these will be outdated.

I'm sorry, but you will either have to take the bus or drive if you want to go watch cubs games, which iirc was the benefit you personally envisioned. Or you could move somewhere near the dozen trains that can get you near the red line

A TRAIN STATION is not an impact study, lol.

They BUILT THE STATION on the promise that the train would come. Construction ended in 2018. It sits empty due to one private company's attempt to extort more tax money for private improvements.

 

[QChawks]

So you are in favor of throwing away the tens of millions of taxpayer dollars already spent based on promises that are not being kept?

yes

 

[bhawk24bob]

Who is at fault for building a train station where a train can’t currently operate? I’m probably one of the biggest proponents of public transport you will find and even I think that’s stupid

 

[torbee]

yes

Dumb.

 

[torbee]

Who is at fault for building a train station where a train can’t currently operate?

Iowa Interstate Railroad

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

“ If we build it, they may or may not come…”

 

[bhawk24bob]

You can go to any rail system you want and find stations that were built and never used, built and are no longer used, etc.

 

[QChawks]

Dumb.

well, don't spend millions of dollars on a promise

would you build a house if someone told you they would buy it when it was finished?

I work off contracts only

 

[torbee]

Here is what I think many of you are missing.

The funding for this project came as a result of legislation in both Springfield and Washington D.C. It is part of the expanded Midwest rail initiative, that received a green light in the recent BIPARTISAN infrastructure bill. It is a project that local, county, state and federal legislators, economic development professionals and tourism officials have worked to put in place for over a decade and has broad support.

It is funded, parts of it are built out. The lone remaining hold up is one single private company that is greedily trying to divert tax money into private coffers by holding up the project indefinitely.

There is absolutely zero way to claim you are being "fiscally responsible" by supporting that company's effort. In fact, it is wildly wasteful of tax money and must be dealt with by the NTSB.

It is ludicrous that one non-responsive private entity can subvert the work of local leaders, the Illinois legislature and the U.S. Congress. It is asinine.

 

[torbee]

well, don't spend millions of dollars on a promise

would you build a house if someone told you they would buy it when it was finished?

I work off contracts only

That is actually a great analogy.

In this case, the bank has signed off on the loan, the blueprints have been finalized, the contractor has started building it, and now one minor sub-contractor has blatantly refused to start doing the small (but necessary) piece of work to allow the project to be finished unless it is paid 10X market value for the work they are proposing. And then every time you tell them they are being ridiculous, they increase their money demand higher. That is EXACTLY what is happening in this case.

You want to blame the homeowner and builders. A rational person would blame the greedy, unethical subcontractor.

 

[bhawk24bob]

Torbee, you are still missing the point here. This is part of the game. There is a superstation built underground in Chicago that would be the terminal for high speed rail from both airports to connect to multiple subway lines. It cost $400M and is now empty, never used. No track was laid but the station was built.

The contractors that built that station you pictured got paid, the surveyors and planners got paid, etc. Joke is on anybody that thought this would ever see passenger service.

 

[torbee]

Torbee, you are still missing the point here. This is part of the game. There is a superstation built underground in Chicago that would be the terminal for high speed rail from both airports to connect to multiple subway lines. It cost $400M and is now empty, never used. No track was laid but the station was built.

The contractors that built that station you pictured got paid, the surveyors and planners got paid, etc. Joke is on anybody that thought this would ever see passenger service.

I don't support not finishing projects that have received taxpayer funding, nor should you.

So no, I am not missing the point at all.

The Illinois legislature, the U.S. Congress and the President of the United States of America have all approved money for this project and one company is preventing it from being finalized. That is fundamentally wrong and frankly, unamerican.

I fully expect both Amtrak and the USTB to take up the issue and rectify it, much as they did with the New Orleand-Mobile line that was being slowplayed.

Amtrak coming back to Mobile

In a joint statement, the parties involved in a long proceeding before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board confirmed on Tuesday that passenger rail is coming back to the Gulf Coast. Few details have been provided on when the restart will happen.

www.al.com

 

[bhawk24bob]

I expect Amtrak and the USTB to do nothing, railroads border on being untouchable by US law.

 

[torbee]

I expect Amtrak and the USTB to do nothing, railroads border on being untouchable by US law.

Read the article I referenced above. This is the precedent that spurred the QC area legislators and mayors to hold the press conference they did yesterday.