October 03, 1990|By Stanley Ziemba. (Chicago Tribune)
After trying for more than a century, the Southern Pacific railroad finally has been able to establish a direct track line from the West Coast into Chicago.
Southern Pacific Lines said Tuesday it has obtained the necessary authorization from the Interstate Commerce Commission to extend its service east from Kansas City to Chicago, enabling the firm to offer direct service for the first time between Chicago and California.
After trying for more than a century, the Southern Pacific railroad finally has been able to establish a direct track line from the West Coast into Chicago.
Southern Pacific Lines said Tuesday it has obtained the necessary authorization from the Interstate Commerce Commission to extend its service east from Kansas City to Chicago, enabling the firm to offer direct service for the first time between Chicago and California.
The Kansas City-based railroad company said it will be operating over trackage rights obtained from the Burlington Northern Railroad between Kansas City and Chicago and will be using its own trains and crews.
``We`ve wanted to get Southern Pacific trains into Chicago from the West Cost for over a century. Now we`re finally there, with a highly efficient service route,`` said Southern Pacific President Mike Mohan.
``Obtaining trackage rights on the 466-mile Burlington Northern route across Missouri and Illinois gives us a fast, competitive route from points in California to Chicago via Kansas City,`` he said.
Nearly 1,000 shippers and many state and local government agencies supported the Southern Pacific`s efforts to get ICC approval for the Kansas City to Chicago route, Mohan said.
Limited operations over the Burlington Northern`s tracks between Kansas City and Chicago began Friday, Mohan noted. He said operations will be increased over the next several weeks as crews are qualified and tariffs for the new route take effect.
Until now, Southern Pacific had been the only major Western railroad without direct access to Chicago, the nation`s transportation hub. And it wasn`t until recently that the railroad had access to the city from the Gulf Coast and the Southwest.
That access was achieved last November, when Southern Pacific`s parent company, Rio Grande Industries Inc., bought a 282-mile line between St. Louis and Chicago from the Chicago, Missouri & Western Railroad.
Mohan said the operating unit for the Southern Pacific on the new Kansas City to Chicago route will be its subsidiary, the SPCSL Corp., which already has operating rights in the Chicago area needed to support Southern Pacific`s new route.
In addition, Mohan noted that Southern Pacific has reached agreements with the Norfolk Southern Railroad for the use of a portion of the Burlington Northern`s track in Missouri that Norfolk Southern controls jointly with Burlington Northern.
Earlier this year, the Southern Pacific won ICC approval to acquire some rail lines between Chicago and Kansas City owned by the Soo Line Railroad Co. in an effort to establish a link for itself between the West Coast and Chicago. That plan, however, was dropped in favor of the joint trackage agreement with Burlington Northern, Mohan said.
``We`ve wanted to get Southern Pacific trains into Chicago from the West Cost for over a century. Now we`re finally there, with a highly efficient service route,`` said Southern Pacific President Mike Mohan.
``Obtaining trackage rights on the 466-mile Burlington Northern route across Missouri and Illinois gives us a fast, competitive route from points in California to Chicago via Kansas City,`` he said.
Nearly 1,000 shippers and many state and local government agencies supported the Southern Pacific`s efforts to get ICC approval for the Kansas City to Chicago route, Mohan said.
Limited operations over the Burlington Northern`s tracks between Kansas City and Chicago began Friday, Mohan noted. He said operations will be increased over the next several weeks as crews are qualified and tariffs for the new route take effect.
Until now, Southern Pacific had been the only major Western railroad without direct access to Chicago, the nation`s transportation hub. And it wasn`t until recently that the railroad had access to the city from the Gulf Coast and the Southwest.
That access was achieved last November, when Southern Pacific`s parent company, Rio Grande Industries Inc., bought a 282-mile line between St. Louis and Chicago from the Chicago, Missouri & Western Railroad.
Mohan said the operating unit for the Southern Pacific on the new Kansas City to Chicago route will be its subsidiary, the SPCSL Corp., which already has operating rights in the Chicago area needed to support Southern Pacific`s new route.
In addition, Mohan noted that Southern Pacific has reached agreements with the Norfolk Southern Railroad for the use of a portion of the Burlington Northern`s track in Missouri that Norfolk Southern controls jointly with Burlington Northern.
Earlier this year, the Southern Pacific won ICC approval to acquire some rail lines between Chicago and Kansas City owned by the Soo Line Railroad Co. in an effort to establish a link for itself between the West Coast and Chicago. That plan, however, was dropped in favor of the joint trackage agreement with Burlington Northern, Mohan said.
