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Originally Posted by IrishIllini
The purple line is a dedicated express line from Howard to Sheridan (Wilson?). I don't think Chicago has any real demand for another dedicated express line anywhere else at the present. If Amazon does end up in Chicago I can see there being demand for additional express lines. Maybe along the green line should the gentry continue to push west?
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I do think the O'Hare branch could support an express line, although it's almost already an express line north of Belmont.
There are basically 16 stations on the O'Hare branch. Making an express south of Damen would be difficult and expensive, although if the west-pointed portals west of Clark/Lake were utilized you could create zero-station tunnels in parallel for probably a reasonable price since stations are a huge part of any subway cost. I think that if you had parallel tunnels from about Lake/Clinton and re-joined just south of Logan Square with stops at Logan and Belmont, then built overhead express tracks with a stop at Jefferson Park and Cumberland, and used rolling stock and tracks that supported 60mph service, you'd probably be able to get from Clark/Lake to O'Hare in 25 minutes, which would be plenty fast given that a dedicated heavy rail solution would probably only do it in 20 minutes and drop passengers in the West Loop instead of the Central Loop.
If those ran every 10 minutes all day, or maybe dropping to 20 minute headways before 7am and after 8pm, and the rolling stock was compatible with the 'L' tracks but had upgraded seating, loggage shelves, and cost $10 from the departing Loop station under Block 37, and $10 from O'Hare it'd be among the best airport connections in the world. At the intermediate stops it might be difficult to levy a higher fare, but if you could find an operationally efficient way to do it, you could charge $5 at the intermediate stations. Otherwise intermediate people would just get a great discount. It'd probably be best to figure out a way to charge efficiently if for no other reason than to prevent rush hour commuters from crushing the higher-fare customers at those four stations, although relieving some pressure from rush hour trails on the Blue Line from Belmont and Logan Square would be good.
What would it cost? That's the billion dollar question. But let's take a stab at it. Extending from the already-existing west-facing portals near Clinton/Lake to Logan Square is about 5.5 miles of tunnel. That portion seems like $200 million per mile would be feasible. Maybe even as low as $150 million per mile. Portal to attach to Logan Square probably $250 million. Elevated structure either over existing Blue Line, or running next to the UP-NW tracks perhaps $150 million per mile. Station with connections at Jefferson Park, $150 million, station with connections at Cumberland, $150 million, trackwork to rejoin mail Blue Line tracks west of Rosemont, $250 million, station enhancements at O'Hare to create dedicated part of station exclusively for express, $100 million. Station work in Block 37 to complete that, $150 million.
Total: $1.8 - $2.6 billion range. That seems comparable to estimates for the solution incompatible with existing 'L'. Using compatible 'L' means that, if it seemed worthy, you could through-run trains south of Block 37 just skipping stations but no dedicated express tracks to Cermak for connectivity to McCormick area for whatever it would cost to build a dedicated station at Cermak ($150 million?). Since that would back up against existing service on the Red Line, but would jump to the Green Line after Roosevelt, that portion of the run would vary from 5 minutes to 10 minutes depending on track traffic at the time. If you made a split station just north of Cermak, with trains moving off the line to standing tracks, and a 5-minute pause at Block 37 for loading, you'd be serving the McCormick area and Chinatown with 35-40 minute single-seat ride to O'Hare covering you convention area, the Central Loop, with a few extra stops along the NW side (you could even maybe skip Cumberland to save a couple minutes), for $10-15. That'd probably be pretty well-used by travelers, and maybe even some well-heeled commuters. If you sold a monthly "express" pass targeted at commuters in Logan Square/Avondale or Jefferson Park who wanted a nice ride downtown, you could probably price that at $150 alone or $200 to include an all-CTA monthly pass. If I lived in Jefferson Park and worked in the Central Loop, I'd probably be willing to pay $150-200 per month for an express ride in nice cars to the Loop to/from Jefferson Park.