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Yesterday, Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program partners announced the completion of another key project: signal modernization work in the Blue Island-Riverdale-Dolton, Ill., area.

Funded by a federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery I (TIGER I) grant, the $14.4 million project included the installation of a new bi-directional computerized traffic control system on a three-mile segment of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Co.'s (IHB) mainline along the northside of Blue Island Yard.

Known as CREATE project B15, the work also involved the creation of two new control points via a series of new crossovers at a Canadian Pacific track location and turnout. In addition, more crossovers were installed at another CP track location, electric lock switches were put in place and five hand-thrown switches were replaced with power-operated switches.

Now, train speeds can be increased from 15 mph to 30 mph, allowing trains to pass through the area in as little as six minutes, CREATE partners said in a prepared statement. Trains used to experience 15 to 30 minutes of delay for every hand-operated switch they navigated through, and wait for other trains to navigate the project limits with manual switches, they said.

"Increased freight speeds and improved fluidity on the IHB will allow trains to clear Dolton Interlocking more quickly, reducing the potential for freight conflict with Amtrak trains to and from Indianapolis, and improving passenger and freight travel time, speed and reliability," CREATE partners said.

The $3.2 billion CREATE program involves 70 projects designed to separate freight and passenger trains at six key junctions in the Chicago area, increase rail capacity, speed and reliability, and eliminate 25 grade crossings. The program is managed via a public-private partnership among Amtrak, the Association of American Railroads, BNSF Railway Co., Belt Railway Co. of Chicago, Chicago Department of Transportation, CP, CN, CSX Transportation, Illinois DOT, IHB, Metra, Norfolk Southern Railway, Union Pacific Railroad and U.S. DOT.

B15 is the second TIGER I-funded CREATE project to be completed. To date, 15 projects are finished, 11 are under construction and five are in the final design stage. In the areas affected by the completed projects, passenger- and freight-train delays have dropped 33 percent and 28 percent, respectively, CREATE partners said.