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Milwaukee District West Extension

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The Milwaukee District-West line currently provides service between Elgin (Big Timber Road) and downtown Chicago. The initial proposal includes a new 26-mile extension to the Milwaukee District-West Line between Elgin in Kane County and Marengo in McHenry County.

The extension to Marengo plus an intermediate station in Huntley is proposed to connect at Almora and use right-of-way of the parallel Union Pacific Belvidere Subdivision tracks. The project also includes the addition of an upgraded outlying coach yard and improvements to the existing rail infrastructure. This former Chicago and North Western Railway line was the first railroad in the region (chartered in 1836 as the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad), with service beginning in 1848. The existing single-track lightly utilized freight line turns northwest at this point. An 11.1 mile extension along a different route (IC &E RR) from Elgin to Hampshire has also been studied.

Project information 

Cost: A capital cost of $777,000,000 (2009$) has been estimated for an extension first to Huntley then to Marengo.  The capital cost for the Elgin to Hampshire extension proposal is $370,000,000 (2009 $).

Connectivity: The project will increase access between Huntley and areas served by Elgin-centered Pace bus services.

Safety and Security: The proposal enhances security by providing an additional means of travel for nearby parallel expressway corridors (I-90, Elgin-O’Hare) and major arterials in the event of a long duration major incident.

Bicycle and pedestrian accommodation: the stations on the line are expected to be equipped with additional bicycle parking facilities and integrated with communities’ existing bicycle and pedestrian trial systems.

Consistency with subregional plans: this project is concurred upon within the Kane County’s 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan and 2030 Land Resource Management Plan, and is noted in the Infrastructure chapter of the McHenry County 2030 Comprehensive Plan. A station site has been identified in the Village of Huntley’s official Land Use Map. The City of Elgin also supports the extension to Huntley in its most recent Comprehensive Plan & Design Guidelines publication.

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Project Status

A Phase I feasibility study to Marengo is underway. The Huntley-Marengo extension has a year 2020 time frame. The extension to Hampshire has a year 2040 completion time frame.
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