Rockford Intercity Passenger Rail

The Rockford Intercity Passenger Rail is a proposed Metra inter-city rail service between Chicago and Rockford, Illinois. The project is being led by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) funded with $275 million through the Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The route is expected to begin by late 2027, reinstating rail service to Rockford for the first time in over 40 years after the discontinuation of Amtrak's Black Hawk in 1981.^[2]

Rockford Intercity Passenger Rail

Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Planning
Predecessor	Black Hawk
First service	Late 2027 (2027)
Current operator(s)	Metra
Website	https://chicagotorockfordrail.org/
Route
Termini	Chicago Union Station Rockford
Stops	5 (2 existing, 3 proposed)
Distance travelled	86.8 miles (139.7 km)
Average journey time	95 minutes[1]
Service frequency	Two daily roundtrips
Line(s) used	Milwaukee District West, Belvidere Subdivision
Technical
Operating speed	79 mph (127 km/h) (top)
Track owner(s)	Metra, CPKC, Union Pacific
Route map Legend Rockford Rock River I-39 North Branch Kishwaukee River I-90 Belvidere Coon Creek Illinois Railway Museum South Branch Kishwaukee River Huntley I-90 Option Big Timber Road Preferred Elgin Option National Street Nonstop Union Station Milwaukee District West Line All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk edit

The service will operate without stops along the Milwaukee District West Line between Chicago Union Station and Elgin, with a stop at one of the three existing Metra stations. The route will continue west beyond Big Timber Road on a new connection to Union Pacific's Belvidere Subdivision. The service will have two intermediate stops in Huntley and Belvidere before terminating in downtown Rockford.^[3]

The route has yet to receive an official name, with Metra interested in branding the service to distinguish it from its existing commuter rail network.^[4]

Stations and fares

The route will service five stations at two existing and three new facilities. Existing stations will be located at Chicago Union Station, the line's east terminal, and at an existing station in Elgin, either National Street, downtown Elgin, or Big Timber Road. Station locations and designs in Huntley, Belvidere, and Rockford need to be determined, with preliminary plans expected by November 1, 2023.^[5] The station at Chicago Street in downtown Elgin is presented as the preferred choice, offering a connection to Pace's Elgin Transportation Center.^[6]

Fares are yet to be determined, and are expected to be structured differently than existing commuter rail fares. IDOT and Metra are working together to determine appropriate pricing. One reason Metra was selected as an operator over Amtrak was existing fare integration with other Chicago area transit authorities.^[7]

County	Location	Station	Connections	Notes
Winnebago	Rockford	Rockford	Proposed station; to open by 2027	Station to be located downtown, west of Main Street on or near the site of the previous CNW station[7][8]
Boone	Belvidere	Belvidere	Proposed station; to open by 2027	Station to be located downtown, east of State Street near the Boone County Museum of History[9]
McHenry	Huntley	Huntley	Proposed station; to open by 2027	Station location to be determined; previously studied as part of an Metra extension.[10][11]
Kane	Elgin	Elgin	Metra: ■ Milwaukee District West Pace Bus	Existing station to be determined; also considering National Street and Big Timber Road
Cook	Chicago	Chicago Union Station	Amtrak (long-distance): California Zephyr, Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Empire Builder, Floridian, Lake Shore Limited, Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle Amtrak (intercity): Blue Water, Borealis, Hiawatha, Illini and Saluki, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Lincoln Service, Pere Marquette, Wolverine Metra: ■ BNSF, ■ Heritage Corridor, ■ Milwaukee District North, ■ Milwaukee District West, ■ North Central Service Chicago "L": Blue (at Clinton), Brown Orange Pink Purple (at Quincy) CTA Bus: 1, 7, J14, 19, 28, 56, 60, 120, 121, 124, 125, 126, 128, 130, 151, 156, 157, 192 Pace Bus: 755 Plainfield–IMD–West Loop Express Amtrak Thruway: to Madison and Rockford (Van Galder), and to Louisville (Greyhound)

See also

• Quad Cities, an under construction Amtrak service funded through Rebuild Illinois
• Amtrak Black Hawk, the last intercity train to serve Rockford (1974–1981)