Galena man wants to turn Rockford-Chicago passenger line into Freeport-Chicago
A former Illinois Senate candidate is working to rally support for Rockford's planned passenger rail line to extend out to Freeport in an area he describes as a "transportation desert."
Gerald Podraza, a Galena resident and former candidate for Illinois Senate District 45 in northwest Illinois, is asking area elected officials to seek a new state or federally funded feasibility study that would evaluate the "economic viability and everyday usefulness" of extending the planned Metra Rockford-Chicago line another roughly 30 miles to Freeport.
"We have a big challenge regarding transportation issues in northwest Illinois," Podraza said. "This is a campaign regarding the extension of the Metra, from Rockford to Freeport. And the results of that will be a bunch of both economic and other kinds of input, both into Freeport and Rockford."
Podraza said he is working with a loosely organized group of area residents he calls the Coalition to Extend Metra Rockford to Freeport. He has already won an endorsement for a feasibility study from the Stephenson County Board, with the clear stipulation that the county is not willing to put any money behind it.
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Podraza is seeking a similar endorsement from the Winnebago County Board next. Freeport Mayor Jodi Miller did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
He is also planning an informational meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Freeport Public Library, 100 E. Douglas St. in an effort to drum up community support.
Illinois Gov. JB Prtizker visited Rockford over the summer to announce that passenger rail service would be restored via an intercity route between Rockford and Chicago with stops in Huntley, Elgin and Belvidere. The announcement followed an agreement being reached between Metra and Union Pacific.
Pritzker had worked with the Illinois General Assembly to set aside $275 million in Rebuild Illinois capital improvement funds for extensive improvements to Union Pacific-owned tracks needed to convert the freight tracks to use by passenger trains.
It will not only pay for new train stations to be built in Huntley, Belvidere and Rockford, it will also be used to improve tracks, signalization and road and river crossings to prepare the Union Pacific tracks between Rockford and Elgin for passenger rail. Construction is expected to proceed over two years from 2025 to 2027.
Metra already owns the tracks and operates passenger rail service between Elgin and Chicago.
More: Now boarding: Everything you need to know about Rockford's new Metra line to Chicago
Illinois Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Loves Park, said that the focus right now is on restoring passenger rail service between Chicago and Rockford. Plans are to operate two daily round-trips each taking the 90-mile trip in about two hours.
Stadelman said although there are significant challenges, an extension to Freeport can't be ruled out. But Stadelman said years ago when a passenger rail line from Chicago to Dubuque, Iowa was being pursued, Canadian National which owns tracks west of Rockford seemed uninterested in converting them for passenger use.
"Metra has in its messaging indicated that eventually it would potentially consider going west of Rockford at some point," Stadelman said. "I don't have any type of timeline obviously, but I don't think Metra has said 'no' to that possibility down the road."
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Galena man campaigns for extending Rockford's rail line to Freeport
