Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE)

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The Chicago region is the world's third busiest intermodal hub, covering approximately 16,000 acres. It's also where six of the seven Class I freight railroads converge and where nearly a quarter of the nation's rail shipments arrive or pass through. The CREATE project is maximizing the use of four train transportation corridors, including three primarily handling freight traffic and one primarily handling passenger traffic. The project involves 70 improvements, including: 25 new roadway overpasses or underpasses at locations where auto and pedestrian traffic currently crosses railroad tracks at grade level 6 new rail overpasses or underpasses to separate passenger and freight train tracks 36 other railroad projects including viaduct improvements, grade crossing safety enhancements, and extensive upgrades of tracks, switches and signal systems Improvements to existing viaducts in Chicago Grade crossing safety enhancements Integration of information from dispatch systems of all major railroads in the region into a single display (Common Operational Picture) Selecting the improvements for CREATE was a collaborative process between the freight railroads, State of Illinois Department of Transportation, City of Chicago Department of Transportation, Metra and Amtrak. Input on grade crossings and traffic congestion was considered from the Illinois Commerce Commission and Chicago Area Transportation Study. Six private freight railroads have contributed their own equity to support the project. They include: BNSF Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, CN, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Union Pacific Railroad. The railroads are represented by the American Association of Railroads.

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