FOURTH ALTERNATIVE FOR SPRINGFIELD RAIL RELOCATION IS BAD IDEA

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Ernie Slottag 789-2235

A proposal discussed at yesterday’s meeting by agents of the Federal Railroad Administration to consider splitting Union Pacific freight and passenger service traveling through Springfield is an idea that makes a bad situation worse. FRA is suggesting that serious consideration should be given to an alternative that would have freight trains moved to the Tenth Street corridor while keeping passenger trains on Third Street.

“This is the worst possible outcome for the City of Springfield,” said Mayor J. Michael Houston. “We have been working for years to consolidate rail traffic on a preferred corridor so that proper mitigation efforts could eliminate grade crossings and allow vehicles and trains to move smoothly though our city. This proposal negates every bit of work we have done, including the EIS completed by Hanson Professional Services.”

“Moving some trains but not all to Tenth Street could jeopardize the entire project because it would remove the possibility of accessing High Speed Rail funds to help pay for consolidation. The funds would be used, instead, on Third Street. That could mean no underpasses or quad gates, and no quiet zones which would cause much greater delays and increase the noise level.”

“It would also undermine the City’s integrity, and prevent us from proceeding with an economic development initiative built around a new multi modal transportation facility on Tenth Street. That would include a variety of elements that would stimulate other development such as single family homes on our City’s east side.”

“This fourth alternative should not even be on the table. Allowing Amtrak to run passenger trains on Third Street will continue to produce congestion and traffic delays in the core center of our City. And, it would not be conducive to expanded development in the medical district. We would get the worst decision that could be possibly imagined,” Houston added.

The Federal Railroad Administration is having a Tier 1 environmental impact study (EIS) conducted on the entire Chicago to St. Louis route, and plans to fold the Springfield Tier 2 EIS into the Tier 1 study. The Springfield study has already been completed and is awaiting a Record of Decision. But that will be delayed 18 months or longer because it is now part of the study for the entire corridor.  

Springfield community, business and government leaders have strongly argued that both freight and passenger trains should be moved to the Tenth Street corridor so that underpasses and appropriate crossing protections can be built, reducing the number of grade crossings making it much safer for the community. The goal is to minimize the negative impact that increased train traffic will have on Springfield.