UP
UP earlier this month was part of Cook County’s groundbreaking for the $99.1 million Touhy Avenue Project (map above; downloadable fact sheet below), which it reported via social media “will include a new bridge constructed over our tracks and the planned I-490 Tollway to improve access to O’Hare and make travel safer for drivers, transit riders, bicyclists and pedestrians.”
The purpose of project is to “alleviate congestion, enhance safety and accommodate the new tollway construction,” according to the Cook County government, whose Department of Transportation and Highways is collaborating with the Illinois DOT, Illinois Tollway, Elk Grove Village, and the Cities of Chicago and Des Plaines on the project. This will be achieved, it said, by elevating Touhy Avenue over the planned Tollway and the UP tracks, realigning Old Higgins Road and Mt. Prospect Road, and improving the intersection of Touhy Avenue and Elmhurst Road. “These improvements aim to facilitate better traffic flow and connectivity in the region, ultimately contributing to a more efficient and safer transportation network,” according to the government. The stretch of Touhy Avenue between Elmhurst Road and Mount Prospect Road is said to carry more than 32,000 vehicles per day.
According to the government, Touhy Avenue serves as a major corridor for trucks, providing access to the largest industrial district in the Chicago metropolitan area, located north and west of O’Hare International Airport. It noted that the project will also improve access to airport amenities, including the new northeast air cargo facility, employee parking, remote parking, and car rental facilities, and provide access to the new I-490 Tollway.
The project is expected to wrap up at the end of 2027.
“Safety is the heart of everything we do, and this project puts it at the forefront by removing risks associated with at‑grade crossings while improving the efficiency of our rail network,” said Liisa Lawson Stark, Vice President–Public Affairs for UP. “UP would like to say, ‘thank you’ to our partners—Cook County Government, Illinois Tollway, the Illinois Department of Transportation and all the local communities involved—for making this long-desired project a reality.”
Further Reading:
- STB OK’s UP Arizona Rail Line Project
- TD Cowen: Takeaways From the Next-Gen Freight Rail Conference
- UP-NS Release Merger-Application Refiling Date
NS
NS on March 16 reported that applications are now open for its 2026 Thoroughbred Scholars program, which awards scholarships to children of NS employees. Since launching in 2022, the program has awarded nearly $4.5 million in scholarships across the Class I railroad’s 22-state network.
According to NS, 100 students pursuing an undergraduate degree at an accredited two- or four-year institution, including vocational-technical programs that are at least one semester in length, will receive a $2,500-per-year scholarship, renewable for up to four years.
Three students will receive special scholarships of $10,000 per year for up to four years. Supporting NS’ “strategic priorities of technology, leadership development, and inclusion,” the awards are:
- NS HBCU Scholar: For a student planning to attend a Historically Black College or University.
- NS STEM Scholar: For a student pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
- NS Community Scholar: For a student with a strong record of community leadership and volunteer service.
Applications close April 20, and all applicants will be notified in June. NS reported that all existing and newly awarded scholarships will be “fully honored and not affected” by NS’s proposed merger with UP.
