Freeport Subdivision

Last updated
Freeport Subdivision
Freeport Sub from Berwyn.jpg
The Freeport Subdivision as seen from Berwyn, Illinois
Overview
Owner Canadian National Railway
Locale Illinois
Termini
Service
Type Freight rail
History
Opened1891 (1891)
Technical
Line length113.5 mi (182.7 km)
Number of tracks1-2
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed50 mph (80 km/h)
Route map

Contents

BSicon CONTg.svg
BSicon xKRWgl.svg
BSicon KRW+r.svg
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon xKRZ.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon KRZ.svg
BSicon ABZq+3.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
Metra Joliet Sub District for RI
BSicon xSTR+c2.svg
BSicon KRZ3+1.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon xABZg+1.svg
BSicon STR+c4.svg
BSicon MFADEf.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon uhCONT1+f.svg
Orange Line
to the Chicago Loop
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon KRZl+r.svg
BSicon umhKRZ.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
BSicon uhACC.svg
Halsted Street
BSicon BST.svg
BSicon uhSTR.svg
Bridgeport Yard
BSicon KWSTRaq.svg
BSicon hKRZWae.svg
BSicon uhKRZW.svg
BSicon KWSTReq.svg
Chicago River
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon uhACC.svg
Ashland
BSicon ABZg2.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
BSicon uhCONT2+g.svg
Orange Line
to Midway   Pictograms-nps-airport.svg
BSicon KSTRa cerulean.svg
BSicon STR+c1.svg
BSicon CONT4.svg
Joliet Subdivision to Joliet Arrow Blue LowerRight 001.svg
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon lMKRZu.svg
BSicon STRq.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
BSicon KRZ.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon lMKRZu.svg
BSicon STRq.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
BSicon KRZ.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon STRl cerulean.svg
BSicon mKRZo +cerulean.svg
BSicon dSTRq cerulean.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Lawndale Avenue
BSicon eHST.svg
Crawford Avenue
BSicon BST.svg
Crawford Yard
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon KRZlr+lr.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Hyman Avenue
BSicon eHST.svg
Hawthorne
BSicon BST.svg
Hawthorne Yard
BSicon MFADEg.svg
BSicon STR2.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
Ogden Avenue
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon KRZ2+4o.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon CONT4.svg
Berwyn
BSicon eHST.svg
Parkway
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
Hawthorne Industry Lead
BSicon eHST.svg
North Riverside
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Tuxedo Park
BSicon eHST.svg
Hines
BSicon eHST.svg
Broadview
BSicon ENDEaq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
Scheck Lumber
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon KRZor.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Oakridge
BSicon eHST.svg
Hillside
BSicon eHST.svg
Elmhurst
BSicon eHST.svg
St. Charles Road
BSicon CONT2.svg
BSicon hSTRc3a.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon lhSTRa@f(l).svg
BSicon KWSTRaq.svg
BSicon hSTRc1a.svg
BSicon MSTR.svg
BSicon MSTR2+4.svg
BSicon hKRZ2+4hu.svg
BSicon WASSERq.svg
BSicon KWSTReq.svg
BSicon hSTRc3e.svg
BSicon hSTRc1e.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon lhSTRe@g(r).svg
BSicon CONT4.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Suburb Hill
BSicon ENDEaq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
Major Prime Plastics
BSicon eHST.svg
South Addison
BSicon exKHSTaq.svg
BSicon eABZgr.svg
Addison
BSicon eHST.svg
Cloverdale
BSicon bWBRUCKE1.svg
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon KRZur.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon STR+c2.svg
BSicon CONT3.svg
Belvidere Subdivision
to West Chicago
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon KRZ3+1u.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon LSTR+1.svg
BSicon STR+c4.svg
Belvidere Subdivision
to Rockford
BSicon hbKRZWa.svg
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon mhKRZe.svg
BSicon ucSTRq.svg
BSicon excSTRc2.svg
BSicon udSTRq.svg
BSicon exdSTR3+l.svg
BSicon ucSTRq.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
BSicon edHST.svg
BSicon exdSTRc2.svg
BSicon exdSTR3+1.svg
BSicon exdSTRc4.svg
Coleman
BSicon edABZg+1.svg
BSicon exdSTRc4.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Plato Center
BSicon eHST.svg
Burlington
BSicon eHST.svg
Genoa
BSicon CONT2.svg
BSicon STR+c3.svg
Canadian Pacific Railway
to Chicago
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon KRZ2+4o.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
BSicon STR+c1.svg
BSicon CONT4.svg
Canadian Pacific Railway
to Savanna
BSicon eHST.svg
Irene
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Perryville
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Belvidere Subdivision
to South Elgin
BSicon STR~L.svg
BSicon lENDE@F.svg
BSicon STR~LR.svg
BSicon BS2+l.svg
BSicon STR3h+l.svg
BSicon STR~R.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
Illinois Railway
Rockford Branch
BSicon KWSTRaq.svg
BSicon dWBRUCKE.svg
BSicon exdWBRUCKE.svg
BSicon dWBRUCKE.svg
BSicon KWSTReq.svg
BSicon xvUSTxr.svg
BSicon edHST.svg
Rockford
BSicon CONTg@Gq.svg
BSicon dKRZo.svg
BSicon STRr+1h.svg
BSicon STR~L.svg
BSicon exSTRr.svg
BSicon STR~R.svg
BSicon ENDEe.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Seward
BSicon eHST.svg
Freeport
BSicon CONTf.svg
Dubuque Subdivision
to Dubuque

The Freeport Subdivision is a railroad line in Illinois which runs from 16th Street in downtown Chicago to Freeport, Illinois. It is owned and operated by the Canadian National Railway (CN). As of 2016 the line is almost exclusively freight-only, with only a small segment within Chicago, between 21st Street in Chinatown and Ashland Avenue in Bridgeport, hosting Amtrak and Metra passenger trains.

The line is 113.5 miles (182.7 km) long. At its east end it joins with the St. Charles Air Line and the Chicago Subdivision in Chicago's South Loop. From there to the interchange with the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad in Broadview, Illinois, it is double-tracked and CTC-controlled. From Broadview to Freeport, Illinois, it is single-tracked and controlled by CTC. The maximum speed over the line is 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). [1] The section between 16th Street and 21st Street mostly handles traffic between CN's Chicago yards; Amtrak trains such as the City of New Orleans , Illini, and Saluki also use it when the St. Charles Air Line is out of service. [2]

The Illinois Central Railroad opened its line between Chicago and Freeport in 1891, giving it a direct route between Chicago and Iowa. The Illinois Central Gulf Railroad, successor to the Illinois Central, sold the line between Hawthorne Yard in Cicero, Illinois, and Freeport (and on to Iowa) in 1985 to the Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad. The Illinois Central, after dropping the "Gulf" portion of its name in the late 1980s, reacquired the route in 1996. [3] The IC operated the Illinois Central West Line on this subdivision in 1892 before discontinuing it in 1931. It also operated passenger trains on the subdivision until the startup of Amtrak on May 1, 1971; Amtrak did not retain the Chicago–Sioux City, Iowa, Hawkeye . [4] Passenger service returned on February 14, 1974, with the introduction of the Black Hawk between Chicago and Dubuque, Iowa. [5] This service ended on September 30, 1981. [6]

Notes

  1. "Illinois State Rail Plan 2012" (PDF). Illinois Department of Transportation. 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  2. "Chicago–Detroit/Pontiac Passenger Rail Corridor Program: Tier 1 DRAFT Environmental Impact Statement" (PDF). September 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  3. Downey 2007 , p. 91
  4. Sanders 2006 , pp. 241–242
  5. Sanders 2006 , p. 245
  6. Sanders 2006 , p. 249

References