An express train connecting O’Hare Airport and Chicago’s business district is one step closer to being realized, with Mayor Rahm Emanuel announcing on Thursday that the project is moving forward. During his 2017 infrastructure address, Emanuel said the city is hiring a former U.S. Department of Transportation official to provide legal expertise.
“To connect people to O’Hare even faster, we are going to embark on a project that has been imagined for decades and is essential for our city’s future,” the mayor said. To that end, the city retained Bob Rivkin, former general counsel to the DOT. In addition to legal services, Rivkin will work with potential partners on the express rail service.
Emanuel didn’t offer many specific details related to the plan, but said engineers hired by the city last year have made progress. In February 2016, the city hired engineering consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff to study the viability and cost of the project, identify potential station locations, and evaluate possible routes between the Loop and O’Hare.
“We have been hearing from potential investors and companies around the world about their interest in this project, and our engineers have made progress in identifying the routes to move it forward,” he said. According to the mayor's office, the proposed project could begin sometime in the next three years.
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