Metra Train Service to Huntley: Not In Near Future

Extending Metra train service from Elgin westward to Huntley will have to remain a dream for now.

 members on Thursday had their first look at a 2010 feasibility study considering the costs and obstacles of extending railroad service to Huntley and towns beyond.

Village officials have been trying to get their hands on the report for some time, and finally recently acquired it.

The bulk of the extension project was estimated in 2007 to cost Metra about $348.5 million, according to the report. That figure did not include the cost of land acquisition and operating costs.

The village would have to assume the cost of building its own train station and parking lot on a minimum of 13 acres. While Huntley officials had the foresight to ask housing developers to donate land to the village — prospective sites for a station — right now, there is no money for such a project.

Metra is not moving in that direction, either.

“It’s just a dream right now,” Trustee Pam Fender said.

Huntley board members gave village administrators the green light to meet with Metra representatives and local and regional officials to discuss future transportation plans to serve the region. Village leaders want to investigate all aspects of railway service should grant money ever become available.

For now, Village Manager Dave Johnson suggested the village look at other avenues of transportation along the Interstate 90 corridor, such as possible bus routes.

Train service to Huntley “is a long haul. If there are better opportunities along the I-90 corridor to get our residents to their job sites, we should look at those,” Johnson told trustees.

In its research, Metra said that extending the Milwaukee District West Line from the Big Timber Road station in Elgin westward would require substantial upgrades to train tracks and equipment, as well as the acquisition of land from the McHenry County Conservation District.

Wetlands and other environmental concerns also would have to be addressed, the report stated.

Another important factor: Potential ridership studies have never been conducted to determine if there is a demand for rail service in the far western suburbs.