IL SR1172

Recognizes Metra's Western Avenue Crossing (A-2), located 2 miles west of the Loop where Union Pacific tracks from Ogilvie Transportation Center cross over Metra tracks from Union Station, as a major bottleneck for passenger rail service

A-2 impacts 7 of Metra's 11 routes and handles approximately 350 trains crossing daily; the infrastructure was designed and built in the 1930s with obsolete air compression switching equipment controlling 3,000 switches

Cold weather severely damages the A-2 system by freezing switches and causing ice to lock switches in place, halting train movement and causing delays on multiple Metra lines

Proposes a flyover bridge to permanently separate the tracks as the best solution, similar to the Chicago Transit Authority's planned Brown Line flyover project, with alternative options including modernizing 1930s switching equipment or relocating the crossing one mile east

Expresses support for federal, State, and private investments to eliminate A-2 crossing delays and improve Metra and Amtrak service for Illinois residents