Lake Forest, IL getting closer to landing Hiawatha Amtrak stop

New studies & new articles pointing to the obvious demand for this stop just under 30 miles north of downtown Chicago. I used to live in that area (and I still visit family in the area often). Supplementing the Metra service around here & adding service to Milwaukee & its airport is a no-brainer IMO. It should've been done years ago actually:

https://www.cityoflakeforest.com/amtrak-stop-proposal-at-telegraph-road-train-station/

https://patch.com/illinois/lakeforest/lake-forest-amtrak-hiawatha-line-stop-would-benefit-region-study

https://jwcdaily.com/2017/11/07/study-shows-demand-exists-for-lake-forest-amtrak-station/

https://www.cityoflakeforest.com/assets/1/7/Lake_Forest_Hiawatha_Corridor_final.pdf

Seems logical, but I think that's about the limit in terms of the number of intermediate stations that the Hiawatha should have.

fairviewroad said:

Seems logical, but I think that's about the limit in terms of the number of intermediate stations that the Hiawatha should have.

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Yes, I agree. For some reason I think this Lake Forest stop might be more advantageous and busier than the Glenview stop once it gets up & running. If they had to eliminate a stop I'd say get rid of Glenview, but of course I'd say leave that stop there for the north suburbanites that are more Cook County based rather than Lake County based.

With Foxconn (Apple's main chip supplier) choosing to set up shop near Racine, I can see the Sturtevant, Wisconsin stop getting busier years down the road.

There should be a stop at Gurnee to serve Six Flags Great America, at least seasonally.

Anthony V said:

There should be a stop at Gurnee to serve Six Flags Great America, at least seasonally.

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That would be an interesting idea. But from a practical perspective probably not going to happen any time remotely soon. In terms of having employers nearby and a central location with pre-existing infrastructure, that Lake Forest Metra stop (off of the Milwaukee North) line really can't be beat.

Anthony V said:

There should be a stop at Gurnee to serve Six Flags Great America, at least seasonally.

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Maybe on Metra?

Pace has certainly picked up some service to the park.

reppin_the_847 said:

New studies & new articles pointing to the obvious demand for this stop just under 30 miles north of downtown Chicago. I used to live in that area (and I still visit family in the area often). Supplementing the Metra service around here & adding service to Milwaukee & its airport is a no-brainer IMO. It should've been done years ago actually:

https://www.cityoflakeforest.com/amtrak-stop-proposal-at-telegraph-road-train-station/

https://patch.com/illinois/lakeforest/lake-forest-amtrak-hiawatha-line-stop-would-benefit-region-study

https://jwcdaily.com/2017/11/07/study-shows-demand-exists-for-lake-forest-amtrak-station/

https://www.cityoflakeforest.com/assets/1/7/Lake_Forest_Hiawatha_Corridor_final.pdf

Click to expand...

Interesting, however, in light of Metra choosing to abandon trips on the line, especially weekends.

Gurnee would not work for Metra because it is over 5 miles north of Rondout where the Metra tracks turn west from the Amtrak tracks. A stop there wound have to be Amtrak.

StanJazz said:

Gurnee would not work for Metra because it is over 5 miles north of Rondout where the Metra tracks turn west from the Amtrak tracks. A stop there wound have to be Amtrak.

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It seems that the currently recommended route on Google Maps is to take the UPN to Waukegan, then Pace to the park. I think there is also a limited service Pace bus to/from the park via Forest Park and Rosemont CTA. I suppose neither of these routes help much if ones originating station is Milwaukee. And, admittedly, they take longer than it would on Amtrak.

It would be fascinating to see if any percentage of current Metra commuters that utilize that western Lake Forest stop (along the MD-N line) would sometimes take the Amtrak to Chicago for a premium pricetag (but faster ride into downtown). The suburb is known for being an old money, affluent town, and from my experience the North Shore has a lot of lawyers & corporate types that commute to the downtown Chicago Loop area. Metra even had a private car (Car 553) in the more eastern line (Union Pacific North) that one could only ride with annually paid club membership.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_553

https://jwcdaily.com/2014/09/25/i-took-a-ride-on-lake-forests-historic-car-553/

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-07-20/news/0907190246_1_commutes-cell-phones-lake-forest

https://jwcdaily.com/2010/09/19/the-cure-for-a-crowded-commute-car-553/

http://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/aura-of-secrecy-surrounds-private-train/article_c99f4554-8c49-582a-b4a2-6262e8de1c58.html

Metra still has that private car. We just repainted it back to original CNW paint.

The 553 car still runs on Metra's UP North Line, as far as I know.