Chicago Englewood Flyover open for Metra

The Chicago Englewood Flyover is complete! Watch Rock Island Metra trains fly over freight trains as well as a couple Amtrak trains.

[@BusaRider86]

Nice shots of the city traffic and trains reflecting in the sun. These simple projects (a flyover) don't seem exciting but make a big impact to rail flow.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Thank you.

[@slyodazz]

This is an excellent train video for Chicago and Metra and CTA. Thank you very much Luke Starkenburg!! The Flyover is a needed bridge for the rail infrastructure and makes trains travel faster.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Thanks

[@thephantomeagle2]

Having ridden two of the Amtrak trains from Michigan to Chicago many times, I can't count how many times we had to sit for upward of 10 minutes, or even more, during Rush hour, less non-rush hours. This flyover not only affects the Amtraks that run south on those tracks, there are many trains that go under it all day long, this great bridge will help cut down n delays and maybe even make the trips shorter since they won't be stopping there anymore Excellent video as well.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Thank you! Yes, I hope all of Chicago's CREATE projects get done to try to untangle the rail system! I have also had to wait for traffic on Amtrak here.

[@lawrencekeesler7369]

This is great! Thanks for the helpful annotations.

[@LSM_Lover]

Whooo!!!! Amtrak horizon coaches! Awesome video!

[@CSullivanmeerkatmandude]

They did a good job on the bridge repair. I was wondering what they were doing on with the bridge. I have driven many times on I-90/I-94 under the bridge. Good video.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

It actually wasn't a repair job. It is a completely new bridge. This bridge is higher than the old bridge so trains can fly over other train tracks. I'm not sure if the old bridge is still there or if they tore it down.

[@CSullivanmeerkatmandude]

Luke Starkenburg That seems to be a better configuration of tracks for the rail traffic there. Google Earth might have a sky view of the area of the Bridge over Interstate I-90/I-94?

[@kevinhoward9593]

There was never a bridge there. The bridge is going over what used to be Englewood Union Station location. if 40-60 trains a day in the 60s could go past the station then why cant they go through the same spot now with a fraction of the number of trains being operated.

[@letterman62]

I saw this bridge in Trains magazine, and you have brought those still pictures to life.Enjoyed your video.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Richard Hordle Thank you. I saw the same article in my Trains Magazine. It was really neat reading about it and seeing the pictures after I shot this video!

[@businessbuilding1]

As always, incredible footage Luke!

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Thanks

[@PRHILL9696]

I did not know they were building that. I have not been on that Metra line in a long time so I guess I should now

[@sg8888888]

Congratulation Chicago for being crowned the No. 1 “most exciting city in the world” for its “outstanding food and bar scene” by British travel magazine Time Out, as of 31 January 2018. clap, clap, clap...

[@sg8888888]

Thank you for your like.

[@michaelglass4701]

Looooooove your video.

[@nellyrichardsin1590]

Open Oct 26, 2014 (9.5+ years ago)

[@lilkuch1]

You got some great footage!

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Thanks!

[@MetraBNSF117]

Now there is less congestion

[@jackchen7003]

That’s the whole point.

[@theodoretaylor5228]

2019!

[@MetxsightseerRailfan]

At 2:50 train going on the rock Island District

[@justanotherasian4395]

Oh man I miss Chicago. Houston just doesn’t have the rail infrastructure for a commuter train like Metra. I wish they did though.

[@BPJJohn]

those green windows make the footage look like its from the 1980s :P

[@fnihp30]

More like the 60s or 70s.

[@londellsallis3852]

1:37 1:44

[@londellsallis3852]

😅

[@kevinhoward9593]

No wonder our country is in debt. wasting $30 billion to build a bridge over a rail line when Diamonds were invented in the 1860s. oh wait they had one there for a hundred years with no problem.

[@rpf276]

Lets get rid of expressway interchanges and bring back traffic lights, we didn't have expressways before why did we need them in the first place. Hey dude the bridge wasn't 30 billion. In the USA more trains pass through Chicago than anywhere else its up to 1200 trains a day. All the major (private in USA) come through here and the funding is from not just federal, but state local (Metra commuter rail 3rd biggest in USA) and the private railroads. How about the trucking companies that use interstate and other federally finding roads? Stop wasting time with stupid posts that make you look bad, and check some facts.

[@BossSpringsteen69]

@@rpf276 I'll have to agree. and if Mr. Howard checked (back then) on the entire story of rail traffic flow in Chicago his conclusion would be different. There are still several other expensive bottle necks in the city that will be addressed in the future. And after personally dealing with this interlocking once and, dealing with a few others in Chicago several times, i'd say money well spent. There is at least one article posted on interchange projects in Chicago. Rail traffic density currently is not what it used to be prior to the 1970's is my guess. The rail lines right of way and, previous now abandoned lines in Chicago tell the story of even greater traffic density. Looking at old maps or blueprints shows it. Like the multi track PRR line that is north of Union station it curves south at Keeler then broadens to 5 tracks it then, parallels other class one tracks at Taylor street that at one time split at 80th street where one line served passenger traffic and the other served freight. At one period in time the freight line had more tracks either yard or main tracks along a long linear stretch that parallels the right of way. The evidence is strongly present after 95th street where the residential back yard offset is significantly away from the main line and you see either rail ties or concrete forms for other things that were present at one time . What we experience today is a tip of the iceberg of what was experienced years ago. Today we have longer and fewer trains plus, the industry network along the right of way that served these corridors is pared down to either no customers or a small hand full. With that business gone now the traffic flow is a little more streamlined.

[@domcollado7787]

You do realize this was the most backed up juncture in the city. This was necessary because it caused so many backups. Diamonds should all be replaced by bridges to eliminate traffic

[@theodoretaylor5228]

This is one of the greatest commuter rail videos I've ever seen. Watched hundreds of them but this one is unmatched. Great catches. 🫱🏽‍🫲🏿🫱🏽‍🫲🏿🫱🏽‍🫲🏿

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Thank you for this wonderful comment!!