Your turn: Rail from Rockford to Chicago is great, but what about Freeport to Chicago?

Gerald Podraza
·2 min read

Citizens of northwest Illinois have been for years — at least twenty — seeking a way to revive passenger rail service, Chicago to Dubuque, Iowa.

At one-point, ex-Gov. Pat Quinn allocated a sum of around $240,000,000 to at least extend service between Elgin and Rockford.

Unfortunately, a newly elected Republican governor upon inauguration cancelled Quinn’s dedicated funding.

Congratulations are in order now for Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker's persistent efforts to finally revive at least the extension of passenger rail from Elgin to Rockford.

More: Chicagoland Metra service comes with a sales tax, but Rockford's won't. Here's why

Presently, we are petitioning to seek funding for an additional feasibility study that would evaluate further extension of the new METRA service to Freeport.

Freeport would become the transportation hub for northwest Illinois.

Efforts to secure AMTRAK service over the last 20 years have been fraught with insurmountable challenges.

Issues seem to be persistent, opposition primarily originates from local Republican dominated county boards (Stephenson/JoDaviess) and rogues representing Illinois Senate 45th and House 89th.

Affluent and foreign owned, CN Railroad appears reluctant to cooperate.

By using resources available from Federal Railroad Administration, extension from Rockford to Freeport would be free of AMTRAK entanglements. It would attract ridership from Wisconsin and Iowa, as well with a station in Bensenville, Illinois, located at the very southwest corner of Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Further justification would suggest such a project would inject significant economic vitality to the City of Freeport.

Call, email, or write to Democratic Congressman Eric Sorensen. His 17th District encompasses areas between the City of Freeport and Rockford. Ask for Congressman Sorensen's intervention.

The City of Freeport enjoyed between 1900-1920 partnership in the Rockford Inter-Urban Railroad service.

A line from Freeport passed through Pecatonica and Winnebago on its way to downtown Rockford.

Coincidentally, the original Freeport to Rockford rail line/route is now a vacant bicycle path ready for a revitalization.

Gerald Podraza, of Galena, was a 2022 Democratic candidate for Illinois' 45th Senate District.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Your turn: Rockford to Chicago rail service should stretch to Freeport