The indicator measures the fluidity of the Chicago Terminal, which is important to the economic strength of the region’s rail industry. This measures the annual average time carload freight takes to get through the core of Chicago’s rail freight hub, the Chicago Terminal, extending from the City of Chicago to roughly the Indiana Harbor Belt Railway in the near-west suburbs. Much of the carload freight needs to pass through classification yards in the Chicago Terminal, where the interchange is made between predominantly eastern railroads, predominantly western railroads, Canadian railroads, and smaller regional and industrial railroads. The measure also indicates how fast trains are moving – a slow train will block a highway-rail grade crossing longer than a fast train.
| Header | Definition |
|---|---|
YEAR |
Year of observation |
CHI_CARLOAD_TRANSIT_HOURS |
Average Chicago Terminal carload transit time, in hours |
ACTUAL_OR_TARGET |
Actual if the record is from observed data; Target if it is an ON TO 2050 target |
Source: CMAP analysis of Chicago Transportation Coordination Office data provided by RailInc
Geography: The Chicago Terminal (extending from the City of Chicago to roughly the Indiana Harbor Belt Railway in the near-west suburbs)