The Chainlink

There is an unused rail line that runs through Forest Park, River Forest, Melrose Park, River Grove, Franklin Park and connects to another line in Chicago, and Oak Park. The Illinois Prairie path ends a few blocks away. I am hoping to get the ball rolling to make it a trail. I think the line is or was owned by Wisconsin Central RR. Anyone interested in finding it on a map can look for Triton College. It runs right next to the college. I would like hear from riders in the towns, local officials, anyone with experience with the conversion process ...

Thanks

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I am skeptical it could be active.  I live 2 blocks from the line and haven't seen a train on it for probably 10 years.  

Take a look at the bridge over the Des Plaines river.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9039745,-87.8318816,101m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

 

5th avenue South of Triton College still has signals up.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.909785,-87.83999,3a,75y,20.78h,76.2...

George street West of Triton College still has signals up.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.917241,-87.850038,3a,75y,10.91h,88....

Take a look at the bridge over the Des Plaines river.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9039745,-87.8318816,101m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

It used to be double tracked.  Maybe Rails with Trails?

 http://www.railstotrails.org/resource-library/resources/americas-ra...

Yes there are signals up. But if the line is no longer in use would the RR pay the expense to have removed? I live 2 blocks from the line and haven't seen a train on it for probably 10 years.  

Whoa. A unicorn-train! I've never seen a train on those tracks, going back eight or nine years. Anyway, nuts. I would have loved for this section of track to be converted to trail. This map sort-of shows that that segment is still owned by Canadian National Railway: http://www.idot.illinois.gov/assets/uploads/files/transportation-sy... .

I wrote an email to CN RR PR dept just to see what they would say about the line status. So far no reply. Andy said he saw a train about a month ago. Can't believe they would run a train across the bridge over the Des Plaines river. 

Near every signal, there should be a phone number to notify the company of problems.  You could call it.

Bob is correct... Rails-to-Trails is a great place to start.

It looks like a connector between Canadian Pacific and CSX. North of the CP crossing it's on a Metra route and is owned by CN, but the track section in question could belong to anyone, even a contractor that only is responsible for keeping the track in order in case a train needs to use it.

On a related note, there is abandoned railroad ROW (tracks are gone) running approximately 3 blocks west of Harlem, from 16th Street in Forest Park to Cermak Road, and through the North Riverside mall property to 26th. This is still used as a utility corridor, with transmission lines running north/south. It would be quite nice to have that available as short connector. I've never been a big fan of cycling the section of Des Plaines several blocks to the west.

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