This CSX route is currently exempt from crossing signals because it is out of service from Caseyville to Shattuc. The signals are turned and the rails are cut.
CSX was storing cars on this line and would put the rails back in for a week or two to shuffle cars in and out and then cut the tracks again.
But the Illinois Commerce Commission bawled them out because the towns along the line got tired of CSX flaggers coming out every 3 months for these movements which by rule can only move at 10 mph.
So CSX recut the lines and nothing pass through here anymore. So why the flagger? And why $300,000 to provide one? Am I missing something here?
While the line is inactive, it is still CSX property. CSX can require a flagger until the line is fully abandoned and the property goes to another landowner.
So here is where I struggle. IDOT will spend a few million bridging traffic over the tracks east of town, just to have them recross the same set of tracks south of town.
I haven't seen the final ROW maps, but wouldn't have been better to simply elevate IL-4 over both the new US-50 and the CSX railroad tracks at the same time?
I'm not sure I'm picturing this right - the bypass is intersecting IL 4 south of the CSX line? If so, I think the expectation is most traffic will proceed from the bypass down IL 4 to I-64, rather than using US 50. I wouldn't rule out IDOT even having a plan to eventually reroute US 50 down IL 4 to I-64.
This way no trucks have to cross the CSX tracks when they go back into service (they will eventually).
I'm not so sure that line will come back, short of it being sold to another railroad. Not seeing a whole of of potential customers on that line.
Definitely possible that IDOT may just run US-50 down IL-4 to I-64 in some future. With the airport down there, they might change their minds.
The "original" plan was US-50 to turn east at Air Mobility Drive after getting off I-64 and keep the highway south of the tracks. That is why there is a IDOT depot just north of the exit. That was stub land to be used for the new ROW and was converted to a depot when the line was defunded. The older ROW north of the tracks is rife with driveways, business entries and mailboxes. IDOT owns land at IL-4 to support a trumpet on the south side of the tracks. However with IDOT having dropped the protected ROW for IL-158 (Air Mobility Drive) maybe have given up completely in connecting US-50 there as a controlled access facility.
As for the CSX Illinois Sub. CSX will not sell it. They had offers. They are still running maintenance trucks on the line to keep it up to snuff. They are waiting for the MacArthur Bridge in St Louis to finish its long awaited rehabilitation. Since the St Louis Sub fulfills connection traffic for now, they are in no rush to bring it back on and pay taxes. UP definitely wants to use it between EStL and Salem as a way to move Chicago bound traffic over to the former C&EI. Flora to Vincennes has enough online business to support it, its over in Indiana between Mitchell and Seymour that is most likely to get pulled. The 2 tunnels can't take super stack containers in/out Queensgate.
When UP gets their container routes back in alignment through St Louis, the Illinois Sub will come back online for container/perishables going to the southeast (turn at Vincennes) that can;'t go via Memphis.
And finally on flaggers, if the line is out of service, the railroad has to provide the flaggers anyway if they choose to use it. If CSX notified IDOT they plan to restore service during the construction time window, then IDOT has to pay for full time flaggers. Now just because CSX told IDOT that doesn't mean it will happen. ATSF told IDOT they were going to electrify their line and I-39 had to have adequate bridge clearance for catenary. 40 years later BNSF has no plans to electrify the line.