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Proposed Great Lakes Basin Railroad


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#1 CNJRoss

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Posted 21 November 2014 - 11:24 PM

WIFR-TV, Rockford, IL, 11/21:

$6 Billion Railroad Bypass Project Proposed

STATELINE (WIFR) – A group of businessmen are looking to construct the largest new set of railroad track in more than 100 years and the historic project could be coming through the Stateline.

Great Lakes Basin headed by Frank Patton wants to build a railroad bypass to get cargo around Chicago’s congestion. The new set of tracks would begin in Northwest Indiana, extending through Illinois and up through Winnebago County, ending in Orfordville, Wisconsin. The five track wide project would free space in the nation’s rail hub and have a big impact on the Stateline.

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#2 KevinKorell

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Posted 22 November 2014 - 02:24 AM

Well OK it makes sense to be able to bypass Chicago, but FIVE tracks wide? That is a very wide right-of-way. Good luck being able to obtain all that land on which to build it. Amtrak would salivate over being able to operate over that, were it not obligated to serve its Chicago hub -- and besides that's where its nearest rail yards are. Chicago serves as Amtrak's "classification yard" as well, meaning passengers are mixed and matched between the routes they transfer between. It's highly doubtful they would be able to operate a route across the Midwest that totally misses Chicago.


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#3 CNJRoss

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Posted 30 October 2015 - 10:07 AM

WIFR-TV, Rockford, IL, 10/29/15:
 

 

Great Lakes Basin Railroad Making Progress

 

ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- Skepticism is running wild on the massive 265 mile Great Lakes Basin Railroad project, however, organizer Frank Patton is chugging along with his $8B idea to bypass Chicago's congested lines.

 

"I'm used to it," Patton said. "I told my wife when we first started that she might look for a new optomotrist and she looked at me and said why is that? Cause you're going to be rolling your eyes so much. But the fact is that was two years ago and now we're on the STB treadmill and it's because it's a good idea."

 

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#4 CNJRoss

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Posted 07 December 2015 - 01:23 PM

GazetteXtra, Janesville, WI:

Chicago freight rail bypass gaining steam, founder says
December 6, 2015
 
Hear Wilson and Patton talk about the goals of their rail bypass project at gazettextra.com/videos.

 

BRODHEAD--A privately funded, $8 billion freight rail proposed to bypass Chicago and connect to an existing line in Rock County is gaining steam faster than the founder expected.

 

The line would increase rail traffic through Janesville and other parts of Rock County, transportation officials said.

 

While some observers are skeptical of the magnitude of the project, saying it'll take 10 years to get a permit, Great Lakes Basin founder Frank Patton said the clock is “moving around a lot faster than we would have even dreamed three months ago.”

 

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#5 CNJRoss

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Posted 28 February 2016 - 11:10 AM

Rockford (IL) Registar-Star, 2/28:

Railroad project could bring jobs, development to Rockford and miles of tracks through Boone County

The $8B Great Lakes Basin proposal would bypass Chicago, where congestion drains U.S. rail commerce.

 

    ROCKFORD — A team of investors is poised to ask the U.S. Surface Transportation Board this week to build an $8 billion freight railroad that, if approved, could lift economic development and job creation to new heights in the Rock River Valley.

 

    The roughly 275-mile railroad loop would bypass Chicago and thereby shuttle goods more quickly from coast to coast.

 

    The so-called Great Lakes Basin Railroad route resembles a giant C, an extension of an existing railroad from Milwaukee to Brodhead, Wisconsin, to a new line that would travel south through Boone County — with a western spur to the Chicago Rockford International Airport — south to Lee County and east to Indiana before heading north, where it would terminate in Michigan City, Indiana.

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#6 CNJRoss

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Posted 13 March 2016 - 02:02 PM

Rockford (IL) Registar-Star, 3/8
 

Federal application filed for freight railroad that would slice through Boone County

The Great Lakes Basin Railroad would allow freight to move more quickly from coast to coast.

 

ROCKFORD — A group of investors has asked the federal government for permission to build and operate a roughly $8 billion railroad that, if approved, could accelerate economic development and job creation in the Rock River Valley.

 

The proposed 243.5-mile Great Lakes Basin Railroad would bypass Chicago as it travels a track alignment that resembles a giant “C” linking Milton, Wisconsin, to Pinola, Indiana, according to the application submitted late Monday to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board in Washington D.C.

 

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#7 CNJRoss

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Posted 18 March 2016 - 02:16 PM

The Times, Ottawa, IL 3/18:

 
Earlville resident expresses concern on proposed railroad expressway

An Earlville resident is voicing concerns about a privately-funded plan to build a $6 billion freight railroad — a train expressway — which would lay 245 miles of track from southern Wisconsin to Michigan City, Ind. on a path that he believes might possibly adversely affect his town.

 

Thomas King, a military retiree who soon will open a new bed and breakfast business in Earlville, said Thursday the new rail line would be a tremendous annoyance for locals with increased noise and blocking traffic at new crossroads.

 

"We're already burdened here in the Earlville area with the many trains on the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe line which blow their horns and interrupts road traffic at all hours of the day," King said.

 

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#8 CNJRoss

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Posted 18 March 2016 - 02:39 PM

Federal Register, 3/18:

 

Great Lakes Basin Transportation, Inc: Authority To Construct and Operate a Rail Line in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. 

 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement; Notice of Availability of the Draft Scope of Study for the Environmental Impact Statement; Notice of Scoping Meetings; and Request for Comments on Draft Scope of Study. 

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SUMMARY: Great Lakes Basin Transportation, Inc. (GLBT) plans to file either a petition for exemption pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502, or an application pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10901, seeking authority from the Surface Transportation Board (Board) to construct and operate an approximately 278-mile rail line. According to GLBT, the proposed rail line would extend generally from near La Porte, Indiana through Illinois to near Milton, Wisconsin and would connect with existing Class I railroads.

 

FULL DECISION:  [PDF]



#9 CNJRoss

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Posted 21 March 2016 - 07:59 AM

WKOW-TV, Madison, WI, 3/19:
 

$8 Billion railroad proposal through Rural Rock County worries farmers as 60-day public hearing opens

 

CLINTON (WKOW) -- A new proposal to build a 280 mile railroad through rural Rock County aims to by-pass the Chicago bottleneck and provide faster freight shipments. 

But it's drawing some concern from farmers who fear it could derail thousands of family farms.

 

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#10 CNJRoss

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Posted 21 March 2016 - 11:04 AM

Progressive Railroading, 3/21:

 
STB to prepare environmental statement for proposed Great Lakes Basin rail line

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board's (STB) Office of Environmental Analysis late last week issued a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and initiate the scoping process for the Great Lakes Basin Transportation Inc.'s (GLBT) proposal to build and operate a 278-mile freight-rail line in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

The STB also announced the dates for public scoping meetings that will be held next month in each of the three states.

 

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