All articles tagged with #ohare flyer
Private, 15-minute O'Hare Flyer express rail would use existing freight rights-of-way to connect O'Hare Terminal 2 with the Old Post Office on Van Buren Street, delivering a roughly 15-minute ride from the Loop—about 30 minutes faster than the CTA Blue Line. Funded privately with no government funding, the project aims to begin within five years and use battery-electric trains for a quiet, fast trip.
A private group proposed the O’Hare Flyer, an express battery-powered train using freight tracks to whisk travelers from downtown Chicago to O’Hare in about 15 minutes, with service envisioned 4 a.m.–10 p.m. and a privately funded $2.25 billion price tag. The plan would not seek government subsidies but requires multiple railroads (CSX, UP, CN) to lease tracks and approvals from federal agencies and the city, posing substantial regulatory and financial hurdles. Supporters include World Business Chicago and United Airlines, while critics worry about CTA fare revenue cannibalization; the project would follow earlier, unrealized private-express proposals like Elon Musk’s 2018 Boring Company idea. A final agreement with railroads and regulators has not been reached yet, though discussions are underway and a five-year timeline is cited.