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6/21/2022
CSX, Chicago, Illinois state and federal officials last week gathered to mark the completion of the Argo Connections, the 32nd project to be completed of the 70 that are part of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program.
Known as CREATE project B9, the Argo work involved the construction of a new double-track connection and crossovers — switches that allow trains to pass one another, rather than waiting behind one another — between the Belt Railway Co. of Chicago (BRC) and Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad (IHB)/CSX line at Archer Avenue and 63rd Street.
Additional crossovers were added to the control point at 71st Street. The project connects the CREATE Beltway and East-West corridors and upgrades mainline crossovers to accommodate higher speeds from 10 mph to 25 mph, reducing congestion and minimizing freight- and passenger-rail conflict and delays, CREATE officials said in a press release.
Increased freight speeds and improved fluidity on the IHB line will allow trains to clear the Canal Street interlocking more quickly, reducing the potential for freight conflict with Amtrak and Metra trains and improving travel time, speed and reliability. The B9 project is located near the largest industrial facility in the region, Ingredion Inc. (formerly Argo Corn Products), which handles up to 200 cars per day from IHB, BRC and CN.
"This project advances our shared goal to eliminate the most congested rail chokepoints in Chicago, further improving our nation’s supply-chain infrastructure and increasing train speed in North America’s most important railroad hub," said CSX General Manager Edward Steinbeck.
Federal investments combined with state, local and private funding supported the construction of the Argo Connections project.