Initial details have been shared for a potential new high-speed rail connection between downtown Chicago and O’Hare International Airport. Dubbed the ‘O’Hare Flyer,’ the train aims to take passengers between the two in just 15 minutes, becoming the newest attempt to create a faster direct connection to one of the world’s busiest airports.
The announcement comes just as the airport also revealed a new phasing timeline for its massive terminal project, which we will cover soon. Efforts for the O’Hare Flyer are being led by a group of industry professionals with backgrounds in political and media affairs, rail planning, and the Illinois Tollway, per Crain’s.
Rendering of O’Hare Flyer
Together, they have been working over the last three years to put together a plan to utilize mostly existing rail lines between the Old Post Office, through Forest Park, and north to the airport. These lines, operated by three different freight rail companies, are set to be relatively vacated as they all shift to utilizing various other railyards nearby.
Estimated route of O’Hare Flyer via Apple Maps
That shift, which has only occurred in the last few years, is what will allow this attempt to potentially take off. Deals have been struck with one of the operators, with talks ongoing with the last two. If approved, the team will only need to gain approval from the city to use tracks under the Post Office and construct 1.5 miles of new track into O’Hare.
Rendering of O’Hare Flyer
Including the purchase of new electric rolling stock, the overall project will cost $2.25 billion and is set to be privately funded. The trains will reach speeds of up to 80 mph and charge at each end, with travel times expected to take 15 minutes and departures occurring every 15 minutes between 4 a.m. and 10 p.m. No price has been set for the ride, but similar systems globally range from $10–$40 each way.
The project will now need to finalize deals with the aforementioned last two freight lines and the city, followed by approval from federal departments as well. This will require another two to three years of planning before moving forward, including final fundraising to cover the cost. If all goes according to plan, this could be completed by the opening of the new global terminal.
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For business travelers to the loop, and people who live in the loop/south loop maybe this works better than the Blue line. However, for residents, I’m not sure because there isn’t a lot of transit to the post office from other neighborhoods, taking two buses to the post office is really time consuming. For example, to travel from Lincoln Park to the Old Post Office, then catch the Direct line, people might as well take the North Avenue bus to the Damen blue line stop then take the Blue Line to O’Hare.
Secondly, I think making the trip 20 minutes with a stop in Oak Park might be a good idea, that could be a good place for a transit hub since there are two El lines there. But, I’m not sure which tracks they are using in that area – so – ???
I don’t hate the idea, but wonder if the Old Post Office is the right place to locate the Chicago end and wonder if it should start, for example, in Block 31 (ignoring logistics for the moment) where there’s more opportunity to change trains and buses?
I actually think the OPO is a good gateway to this project because it will let northside residents still Blue Line or drive to O’Hare, leaving Loop residents, tourists and businesspeople the priority. Not to mention bolstering development around South and West Loop.
Agree with the Oak Park Idea
Debbie, I agree. I like the project but if someone from Lincoln Park has to take a taxi downtown, why not just take it to O’Hara? There will, reportedly, be Blue Line connections but how clunky will they be? Never understood why they don’t just make a Blue Line that runs express like the Purple.
BTW, I typed “Deb” and it autocorrected to “Debbie”. Sorry.
“Never understood why they don’t just make a Blue Line that runs express like the Purple.”
From what I have read/looked into, it’s because the tracks are not wide enough (i.e. a third track in the middle) where an express train could pass. The Purple benefits from this because the is a third track that can pass other trains, where you don’t have that on the blue line. They’d need to expend the track for this to work.
Sucks, but the reality of it unfortunatly.
C, I don’t think it requires a third track. The trains can run like a 2-lane highway where they pass on the side of oncoming traffic (when clear!). All you need for that is crossovers of which the Blue Line has plenty.
C, Purple runs on a normal two track alignment adjacent to the red line, shared with the brown line south of Belmont.
Truth Be Told, the signaling and interlocking infrastructure required for a blue line express without new track would not be feasible. A third track could work, but it would have to be quad tracked at least in sections to get express trains with respectable frequency.
A Blue Line connection… so people taking the Blue Line (which runs directly to O’Hare) can get off and take this train instead? Both “spurs” of the Blue Line have terminuses closer to O’Hare than this connection point. Connecting riders would necessarily have to take the Blue Line the “wrong way” away from O’Hare and toward downtown before backtracking via this direct train. Seems inefficient to me.
If they ran the train a few blocks north to connect with Union Station, Ogilvie, and the Green/Pink lines (or, better yet, Block 37) I could see some utility.
As long as we’re dream’n, a better connection from Lincoln Park and Lakeview would be to extend the Brown Line to the Blue Line.
Also, what’s needed more airport wise would be the Crosstown train from O’Hare to Midway direct. It would also reach into the westside.
And finally what would help CBD and near south/west/north sides is the Chicago Central Area Circulator which was a planned light rail transit system that would connect the Pier, McCormick Place and all the train stations downtown.
Brown to Blue connection would be really nice
extend the Brown Line to the Blue Line— Best idea but very costly
I second that. I live just north of Division, and battling across the center of town (like, say, for lunch at Manny’s) takes far longer than you can believe. Like 20-30 minutes or more. Time saved by the train would be completely eaten up by that. And the post office is too far from the Red Line to make that an option when I’ve got luggage. For anybody north of, say, the river, a cab or the Blue Line during rush hour, makes more sense.
2.5 billion? For trains and an additional 1.5 miles of track? And another 3 years to complete planning? Come on Chicago, we can do better.
Maybe you missed the fact that this is privately funded? Why should anyone care what the investment is if they’re willing to make it?
Most interesting approach! The Consultants are wise to leverage these concepts while the City, CMAP and others pursue CREATE Programming. In addition to the pending application to merge Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Intermodal.The planning timelines provides an opportunity for a broader public review and further analysis of the merger application and it’s response of from other class I and passenger service operators like Amtrak and Metra. Hello Senator Tammy Duck worth And Surface Transportation Board!
It’s Chicago’s fault that a privately funded and planned rail system costs more than you think it should and will take longer than you think it should?
What do you think a new rail infrastructure project should cost? How long should it take? Curious to know your expertise on the concept. Thanks.
I disagree, it’s a US problem in general. In every city that takes on projects like these, they are the most expensive trains per track-mile than anywhere else in the world. I agree that there are certainly some places that Chicago can streamline our processes to reduce bureaucratic costs however while still maintaining high quality, environmental, and safety standards.
It ain’t a public project, bro.
That’s why it will never happen. Just do the math – even at $40 per trip – it requires 62+ million trips just to pay for the investment!
Don’t get me wrong. I think the idea is a great one. Just in my opinion – the numbers won’t let this get off the ground.
It’s not 1.5 miles of new track. A lot of the ROW was formerly double-tracked (or more) but the tracks have been pulled up so that they’ll need to lay many miles of new track and build at least one new bridge where there’s only a single-track bridge currently.
I think a good idea, especially at Rush Hour, but how many people live close to the Post Office? This would really benefit office workers staying in hotels and the people in the Loop and South Shore communities. Are the ridership numbers big enough to support this transit system? Brightline in Florida had very rosy projected ridership numbers and they missed the mark by 2/3 of projected riders. If I had to get into a cab/uber with luggage from West Town, River North, and basically the entire North Side to go to the post office to catch a train to the airport I would just go directly to the airport in the cab/uber or take the El.
Looking at this from Chicago Ave and The River, maps says 13 minutes by car to Gotham Lofts (a block West) cause directly to OPO is showing all kinds of weird routes due to all the one way streets around there. Now add on the wait for the train and 20 minute ride out it is starting to break even with Uber right to airport. Granted at 4:30pm this might be the better route.
I just do not see anybody above Division using this.
Density increases in the Fulton Market (FM) area, offices in the CBD and FM, tourists and business travelers make up a considerable percentage. The Lakeview LP whiners have their own travel issues. Bulk matters.
Very exciting news. A world-class city needs a link of this kind. No surprise, however, that Chicago comes late to this important project: Numerous high-speed airport rail lines are already in service around the world. The lines that I have ridden most often are the Arlanda Express linking the Stockholm city center with the major airport Arlanda and the Flytoget linking the Oslo city center with the major airport Gardermoen. Both of those lines have been operating for a generation now.
All aboard! Full steam ahead!
No need to be negative about Chicago on this, we’re ahead of every other city in the US, and even currently farther ahead in just direct train travel to our airports compared to NYC.
LA doesn’t even have a people mover for its airport…
Very few cities in the world have consistent 24-hour access to their airports, and Chicago has had its for decades. Now, it’s just getting better.
The fact this is using “new” tracks is exciting. I hope this can be built no downside to having another transit option.
Choo Choo! Still very much on Team Blue Line to ORD…but if it’s privately funded – sign me up!
safer-cleaner-faster
…and it’ll only cost you $64 one way.
Sounds exactly like taking the train to/from Heathrow Airport in London. They have the Piccadilly Line (their Blue Line; older, cheaper, louder, more stops, no air conditioning), and the newer Elizabeth Line (£15/$21) that looks like the AI rendering here. Clean and fast.
Nice to have the choice. Let’s upgrade. The more public transportation we build, the less traffic and car fumes.
London also has the Heathrow Express to Paddington running every 15 minutes (about $35-$45 depending on class of service). It’s been running for years now, serves mainly the north-central section of London, and remains popular. I suspect the O’Hare Flyer would be a popular option, if priced attractively.
This is a great idea. Chicago would be the FIRST city in the US to have such a system, so we’re not behind in that respect. This, along with the O’Hare expansion/renovations, it would place it at the world class level. I don’t think this is as much for local residents going to and from the airport as much as it is for visitors. I live within walking distance to a blue line downtown location and even question if it would be worth taking, but Chicago receives over 50 million tourists a year, many of whom come through O’Hare. Between tourists, conference attendees, concert goers and others, it would be a great connection to downtown.
Exactly, and very much reducing the number of taxis and Ubers going to/from the airport which should have a noticeable impact on car traffic on the highway.
Honest question, can the existing rail tracks from downtown to O’Hare edge handle the speed of this train, including all the switching that is going to need to happen? I am assuming a sustained average of 60+ mph, with some spots going faster to make up for the slow spots.
The ROW they plan to use is very old but its current-era uses were until a few years ago fairly heavy and regular. Seems likely that it’s in good shape.
I believe the average speed they are shooting for is 80mph. The train sets they are looking at are capable of 120mph. Is there a need for a lot of switching for this run?
Upgrading the track in places along the right-of-way where it’s needed shouldn’t be too big of a problem. Delays may occur where the O’Hare Flyer has to switch or cross tracks (presuming it will need to do this) where it mixes briefly with other rail traffic. If it’s a serious problem for the Flyer, and flyovers (bridges) are needed, that’s going to cost the developers quite a bit.
There’s going to need to be a fair amount of trackwork done. The ROW is single-tracked from Forest Park to Schiller Park and while some bridges along the ROW are wide enough for double-tracking, not all are. It looks like there will be overlap wth Metra between Franklin Park and Rosemont. In the Eisenhower trench, they’s pulled up the rails on the second track as well so that needs to be re-laid also. Looking at satellite imagery, there’s at least one bridge that will definitely need to be re-built (crossing the UP tracks south of Lake in River Forest) and they may end up being asked to do grade separation north of Chicago through River Forest as well (from south of Augusta to south of Washington, the ROW is already grade-separated with a single crossing at Madison).
Not going to happen. There are too many on grade crossings that locals will HATE for a train that runs every 15 minutes. Those crossings are residential streets and major roads like River Road and 1st Avenue. I would be shocked if they can withstand the political blowback.
No River Road Crossing, only First Avenue. I imagine they might be able to make 1st Avenue be grade-separated. Most of the ROW through River Forest is grade-separated thanks to the overpass at the UP tracks south of Lake Street, with the only at-grade crossing in Forest Park happening at Madison. River Forest has at-grade crossings at Forest, Augusta, Keystone and Thatcher, Trackwork will need to be done through that area since it’s single-tracked until south of Washington, so they might do grade separation there as part of the work.
I love this option for the people it would serve best, which would probably be businesspeople, tourists, and West Loop residents. My dream, however, is a line that would run beneath Lawrence Avenue and connect the lakefront, the Lawrence Red Line stop, the Ravenswood Metra station, the Western Brown Line stop, and the Montrose Blue Line stop. This would finally provide an efficient east-west transit option.
There is little to no chance we get this.
That doesn’t mean we don’t need it or it isn’t a good idea. Hell, even elons tunnel idea was worthy of the city. We need more rapid transit in the form of unobstructed rail.
I want to raise the capital for this. I want it to be built. I want tons of them built.
Elons tunnel was not worthy of the city. Just see how terrible the Vegas loop is
Elon’s tunnel would have been terrible. but the idea of a nonstop rapid transit system from the loop to O’Hare via a tunnel is a good idea.
Elon’s idea falls apart the second you lose rail. His Vegas tunnels problem is the problem of capacity and cars.
Elons tunnel is one of the dumbest ideas to ever break ground, look at the vegas loop. Just cars slowly driving through tunnels (not even all the way to their destination). He only did it to take steam away from highspeed rail or rail projects in general.
Elon’s tunnels suck because they rely on cars. turn them into rail corridors and they’d be great.
He’s still a garbage human and deserves nothing but the worst the universe can offer him. But i would have taken a nonstop fast transit system from the loop to o’hare any day.
There’s a lot of petty, negative energy here. Unfortunately, these types of people are all too common in Chicago and contribute nothing to progress. Antithetical to YIMBY but will deny it breathlessly. 😂
If they can pull it off this is an excellent plan. Its primary user base would be businesspeople/West Loop residents/tourists/Loop residents. Some additional local-resident users from the northern part of the South Loop and City East+River North.
The ongoing residential growth of the West Loop, and the projected residential growth in the Loop itself, must be central to their projected revenue base. I’m certainly rooting for them to be right about that.
These trains would be running right alongside the Eisenhower, i.e. ongoing free marketing of the snazzy modern train service to thousands of people inching along in that highway’s daily clusterf**ks.
That private money wants to spend $2.5 billion doing this is an encouraging indicator about the city generally.
It will be great for visitors to and from Chicago, and downtown area residents. If a consortium of private investors wants to do it, then why not?
It’s cute how everyone in the comments pretends blue line doesn’t have a homeless/drug addicts/mentally ill joy riders problem. Especially late/early or cold months. That’s a reason why so many people choose uber over blue line. So yes, since city of Chicago is not going to address L safety and appearance issue because they choose those groups over fare paying customers – we do need an alternative and this project is great.
This ☝🏻. Also, let’s not forget recent years when O’Hare was a defacto migrant shelter making the walk to and from the blue line a wild experience.
It took triple the time and double the budget to rebuild the OHare people mover with the same antiqued rolling stock and jostling ride. Zero chance we get a modern transit upgrade with our current state and local government. This proposal is a vanity project for the developers resume.
O’Hare isn’t “one of” the busiest airports in the world, it’s the busiest. Sorry Atlanta/London/Paris et al. And the comment from Max is spot on. Way too much weirdness on the Blue Line late at night. And it’s a longgg ride. An express train will be more than welcome.
No, no, NO. This does NOT address my commute from Skokie. Cancel it!
Has thought been given to using a maglev (magnetic levitation) train between the airport and downtown Chicago, as is performed in Shanghai between Pudong Airport and downtown Shanghai—a distance of 26 kilometers, with a journey time of 7 minutes
When I travel, I love having convenient options other than a taxi/Uber for travel to/from the local airport. So I think this will be popular for anyone staying or living downtown. The water taxi between Boston and Logan is the best on a beautiful day. And yes, it would be great if we had better options for the rest of us. Who knows, maybe competition from the flyer will inspire blue line improvements?
I’m not a transportation or infrastructure expert, but on the surface, this appears to be a great idea and something that Chicago needs. There seems to be a lot of focus on those living in Lincoln Park and Lakeview and how this would not be convenient for them. Well there is more to Chicago than those two neighborhoods. There is also the entire South Side, South Loop, and West Loop. Getting to the airport is a hassle, even when picked up curbside and dropped off at the terminal. If you are relying on public transportation, it’s a hassle dragging suitcases on the sidewalk to the bus stop, getting on the bus, carrying luggage up stairs to el platform, etc. I think 20 minutes non-stop on a train going 80 miles an hour is worth hopping on the bus first because either way I need to take a bus to get to someother form of transportation. Let’s see how things look in ten years.
What about families along the route whose homes back up to said railway? I’m talking Oak Park, Forest Park, River Forest, Melrose Park etc. Some of this would be surface not elevated.
Cry about it?
These trains existed for a century before most families butted up, and they were heavier, louder, and spewed tons of fumes.
This? It’s poised to be electric. You’d hardly notice, and if you do, don’t live next to a train ROW.
Looking at the route, you can cross Oak Park off your list as it’s in the Eisenhower trench starting in Forest Park. There are homes near the Forest Park and River Forest stretches, although it’s grade-separated for a big chunk of it thanks to the overpass over the UP lines south of Lake Street. There had been rail traffic there in the recent past, although most of that is no longer active (the connecting line through Forest Park and North Riverside that ran east of Desplaines has been removed along with a lot of the rail in the Eisenhower trench). There’s a little residential frontage through Franklin Park, but mostly it’s commercial/industrial between River Forest and O’Hare.
There are many households in River Forest that touch this rail line on the ground.
comments about how this will face nimby blowback from the suburbs where the train passes at grade level seem right on. i really hope it happens but man it’ll be a fight
Lots of things working favor of this:
1. Amtrak selling their maintenance yard meaning the old post office area will become more vibrant.
2. The mail platform activation at Chicago Union station will allow level boarding. I assume the level boarding upgrade applies to old post office as well. There might even be indoor pathway to CUS.
3. The train set they probably are getting may be chargeable with overhead electric wire. One can hope they plan at some point connect the service with metric electric and extend it further south to Champaign. With the gate shortage at ohare and reduced regional flights, I’m sure Champaign folks would pay a premium for a fast comfortable connection to ohare.
You need to build this. You are a world class city; act like it! Be like London and NYC, which have marque airport rail shuttles. I am not from here. I was here for a conference this week. I took the Blue Line to the airport this afternoon and it was miserable. It is actually a deterrent to returning. You need to construct a fast and reliable rail link to O’Hare. Get to it!