NORMAL, Ill. — A powerful locomotive pulled a passenger train at more than 100 mph on a super ride between Normal and Ballard, north of Lexington, on Thursday, the Bloomington Pantagraph reported.
With a crowd of reporters and government officials onboard, the train reached 109.3 mph during the demonstration of satellite-linked equipment that eventually will provide high-speed rail service from St. Louis to Chicago. Travel time would be reduced from 5 1/2 hours to 3 1/2 hours.
“We think this is one of the first steps in seeing high-speed rail coming to the Midwest, and obviously the Chicago-to-St. Louis corridor is very important to us,” said Normal Mayor Kent Karraker.
The Positive Train Control system can track the exact speed and location of each train within 10 feet. Computers will automatically stop any train that exceeds speed limits or gets too close to other trains. An onboard radio transmits a signal to activate railroad crossings along the way. Sensors at the crossings detect vehicles trapped between crossing gates, which raise in time for them to get clear.
Safer than conventional train Added safeguards should make high-speed train travel safer than conventional trains that travel at a maximum of 79 mph, said project manager Alan Polivka of the Transportation Technology Center, a private company leading the plan.
Nationally, federal figures show 211 people died in rail accidents during the first seven months of 2002. That’s down from 253 for the same period last year John Schwalbach, chief of the bureau of railroads for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said high-speed rail service from St. Louis to Chicago could be a reality by 2010, if the plan remains on schedule.
The first stage would allow passenger trains to reach 110 mph between Springfield and Mazonia near Joliet by the end of 2003. That will shave about 15 minutes off the trip from Normal to Chicago, and about an hour from the St. Louis-to-Chicago run.
Smooth ride
Thursday’s ride was smooth:
Illinois First grant money provided $70 million to improve track and crossings from Springfield to Dwight. About $140 million has been spent on improvements from St. Louis to Chicago in the past 10 years.
“I set a can of pop down (on a table in a dining car)” said Normal Councilwoman Cheryl Gaines. “It didn’t move.”
“By the seat of your pants at 79 mph or 100, you can’t tell much difference,” agreed Schwalbach.
Passengers felt no added sensation of speed until they looked out windows to realize they were zooming past traffic on nearby Interstate 55. With technology apparently addressing crossing-safety issues, two central questions remain for Illinois Reps. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, and Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, and state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington:
— Where will high-speed trains stop? The legislators do not want to trade significant reductions in service to small towns for higher speeds.
— And, how much will high-speed rail service raise fares for consumers?
On that issue, Schwalbach was unable to estimate the final price tag of the project. But, he said, no rail service in the world is self-supporting.
Officials are open to finding the money. Gaines and Bill Brady noted that governments spend millions of tax dollars each year to subsidize highways and streets so people can drive cars. The same holds true for air and water transportation, Brady added.
“It is big money,” agreed Normal Councilwoman Sonja Reese. “But somehow as a society, we’re going to have to sort out alternatives to everyone having a car. Having other modes of transportation makes sense.”