<div dir="ltr"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2019-01-04/toms-mailbag-jan-4-2019.html" target="_blank">http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2019-01-04/toms-mailbag-jan-4-2019.html</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">[...]</div><div dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:17px"> </span><br></div><div dir="ltr"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.2em;font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><img alt="" src="https://www.news-gazette.com/sites/all/files/imagecache/fullsize/images/2019/01/05/27125_0104_loca_bag_1rr_track.jpg" style="box-sizing:border-box;border:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:680px"></p><blockquote style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:10px 20px;margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:17.5px;border-left-width:5px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(238,238,238);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.2em;font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.5em"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700">Could Amtrak build a rail line?</span></p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.2em;font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><em style="box-sizing:border-box">"How much would it cost to buy Amtrak its own set of tracks between Champaign and Chicago so that the commuter trains wouldn't get stuck behind the Canadian National freight trains and the Amtrak trains could go their maximum speed of 80 miles an hour?"</em></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.2em;font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(51,51,51)">First off, Amtrak does have the authority to purchase right of way and build its own tracks, said Rick Harnish, who is the executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.2em;font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(51,51,51)">And there is plenty of space to add a set of tracks to replace that set that was removed by the Canadian National Railroad.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.2em;font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(51,51,51)">But no estimate has been made of how much it would cost, said Harni<img alt="" src="https://www.news-gazette.com/sites/all/files/imagecache/fullsize/images/2019/01/05/530821_0104_loca_bag_2rr_track.jpg" style="box-sizing:border-box;border:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:200px;height:150px;margin:10px;float:right">sh and others contacted.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.2em;font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(51,51,51)">But we can offer a rough guess of the cost, based on what Amtrak did on its 284-mile Chicago to St. Louis corridor over the last eight years. In that project Amtrak installed new rails, concrete ties and other improvements in order to allow for the operation of 110 mph trails. It was funded largely by federal economic stimulus dollars allotted during President Barack Obama's administration at a cost of $1.95 billion.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.2em;font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(51,51,51)">Since that project is about twice the length of the 127-mile Chicago to Champaign route, let's say this one would be a billion dolars, allowing for inflation.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.2em;font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small">[...]</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 1.2em;font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.5em;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></span></p></div></div></div></div>
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