O'Hare Flyer Unveils $2.25 Billion 15-Minute Airport Train for Chicago
Updated
Updated · Chicago Tribune · Aug 25
O'Hare Flyer Unveils $2.25 Billion 15-Minute Airport Train for Chicago
3 articles · Updated · Chicago Tribune · Aug 25
Summary
O'Hare Flyer LLC went public with a $2.25 billion plan for a privately backed express rail link that would carry passengers between downtown Chicago and O'Hare in 15 minutes, with service targeted as soon as 2030.
The project would run battery-powered trains seating up to 450 passengers from the old Main Post Office to O'Hare, using mostly existing freight corridors and needing new track only for the final 1.5 miles into the terminal loop.
CEO Dave Lundy said private investors would fund the line alongside federal RRIF loans, while co-founder Mark Walbrun said right-of-way agreements with Union Pacific and Canadian National were close to completion.
The plan also includes a dedicated downtown station and a covered pedestrian link to Union Station and the CTA Blue Line, while backers argue the service would target air travelers rather than compete directly with the Blue Line.
Support from Mayor Brandon Johnson could help, but the proposal still faces execution risks including city taxes, labor and aldermanic demands, transportation-board approvals and broader Chicago bureaucracy.