Individual projects in the program are at various levels of development from planning to construction.
Each individual project in the program is on its own timeline depending on the level of development.
Fall 2025: Platform & Ventilation Improvements Designer of Record contract awarded
October 2024: CRISI grant ($8,384,000) awarded for Final Design for the Southwest Michigan Capacity Enhancement
September 2025: Amtrak received $40M to support design and construction activities at Chicago Union Station
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, Metra, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)
Station
Mail Platform Reactivation: WSP (Designer of Record), HNTB (PM-CM)
Station Modernization: A. Epstein and Sons, International (Designer of Record), FXCollaborative (Design Architect)
Platform Expansion & Trainshed Ventilation: To be announced in January 2026
Infrastructure
Midwest Maintenance Campus: STV/Jacobs (PE/NEPA)
Southwest Michigan Capacity Enhancement: VHB/Quandel (PE/NEPA)
FRA discretionary grants, Amtrak, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), Cook County, Metra
Amtrak: Borealis, California Zephyr, Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Empire Builder, Floridian, Hiawatha, Illinois Service (Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg, Illini/Saluki, Lincoln Service, and Missouri River Runner), Lake Shore Limited, Michigan Services (Pere Marquette, Blue Water, and Wolverine), Missouri River Runner, Southwest Chief, Texas EagleÂ
Metra: BNSF, Heritage Corridor, Milwaukee District North, Milwaukee District West (MD-W), North Central Service (NCS), SouthWest Service (SWS)
Critical investments in rail infrastructure, facilities, and Union Station will enhance regional connectivity, reduce travel times, improve safety, connect job centers, and more. Led by Amtrak, in partnership with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), Cook County, Metra, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), CHIP represents a transformative investment into the future of rail in the Midwest and beyond. Â Â
Chicago Union Station is the third busiest rail terminal in the United States, serving 120,000 Amtrak and Metra passengers daily. Despite its importance, the station and surrounding rail infrastructure have not kept pace with increasing demand. This has led to significant bottlenecks, delays, and safety concerns that hinder the station and surrounding infrastructure from functioning efficiently and meeting future growth needs. CHIP addresses these challenges by investing in critical infrastructure and facilities that will improve operational efficiency, safety, and the overall passenger experience.
Built in 1914 and only ten feet above the Chicago River, the South Branch Bridge requires frequent lifts that disrupt Amtrak and Metra trains, as well as freight rail and barge traffic. The project aims to minimize these disruptions by exploring the best options to span the river more efficiently.
A two-prong program is planned: (1) $25 million in State-of-Good-Repair (SOGR) projects that will extend the life of the bridge by another ten years while (2) Amtrak begins design/engineering work on, and obtains funding for, a replacement span.
Status: SOGR projects now in final design; construction planned to begin in summer 2026. Bridge replacement PE/NEPA work also scheduled to begin in summer 2026.
Amtrak’s current maintenance facility is over-capacity and unable to reliably service 21st century high-technology locomotives and passenger cars. This project will involve the construction of new facilities at a railyard in the Chicago area, as well as the modernization of current facilities at the existing 14th St. Yard.Â
Status: Acquisition of additional yard property in process.
Funding: Yard acquisition funded by Amtrak’s allocation of IIJA Supplemental Funding
Restoring 19 miles of double-track between Niles and Glenwood Road in southwest Michigan will significantly improve reliability by enabling opposing trains to pass each other without stopping.Â
Status: Preliminary engineering underway and expected to be complete by 2026.
Funding: Preliminary engineering funded by Amtrak appropriations. Final design funded by FY23-24 USDOT FRA CRISI Grant Program and local matches from Amtrak and Michigan DOT.
Several potential connections among elements of the metropolitan area’s rail network will be studied to determine the best routings that will reduce travel time and improve reliably. The study is being undertaken as part of the FRA-led South-of-the-Lake alternatives analysis and will bring all potential connection projects to a similar level of conceptual design completion. A final roster of future connections will be created based on this study.(Add Description)
Status: Study now underway by GFT, with completion during summer 2026.
Funding Status: IDOT and Amtrak covering study costs.
Upgrades to the concourse, mezzanine, and entrance pavilions will enhance passenger flow, accessibility, and safety. The project transforms Union Station into a vibrant transportation hub that graciously welcomes travelers, commuters, and residents.
Status: Preliminary Engineering underway.
Funding: Final Design funded in part by a $3 million FY21 FRA Federal-State Partnership State of Good Repair grant and Amtrak appropriations, with $3 million in matching funds from Amtrak, Metra, IDOT and Cook County. Remaining portion of Final Design funded by Amtrak appropriations.
A new passenger platform will increase station capacity, improve accessibility, quicken the boarding process, and support future rail service expansion. Passengers will be able to wait in an enclosed boarding lounge on the platform and board trains without the use of ramps stairs or lifts.
Status: Construction is anticipated to begin in early 2026.
Funding: Construction funded by FY22-23 FRA Federal State Partnership grant and Amtrak’s appropriations, with $12.4 million in matching funds from Amtrak, Cook County, and the City of Chicago.
The expansion of four passenger platforms and upgrading the ventilation system in the north and south trainsheds will address longstanding air quality, life safety, and accessibility concerns.Â
Status: Preliminary engineering began fall 2025.Â
Funding: Preliminary engineering/NEPA funded by FY22-23 FRA Federal State Partnership grant with $11 million in matching funds from Amtrak, Metra, Cook County, and the City of Chicago.
Amtrak’s mission is to provide efficient and effective intercity passenger rail mobility consisting of high-quality service that is trip-time competitive with other travel options. CHIP will fulfill this mission by delivering the following benefits: Â
Reduced Travel Times and Improved On-Time Performance: By creating faster, more reliable access to Union Station for, state supported, and long-distance and commuter trains, CHIP will unlock more transportation choices for Americans nationwide.
Midwest Service Expansion: CHIP will accommodate growth of intercity passenger rail throughout the Midwest and ridership throughout the greater Chicago metropolitan region that extends across six Illinois counties and reaching Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Concourse improvement benefits: Modernizing the Concourse will improve accessibility, safety, pedestrian flow, signage, wayfinding and upgrade station amenities. Â
Platform expansion benefit: Widening and introducing additional stairs, escalators, and elevators on platforms to provide safer, more accessible routes to and from trains.
Mode Shift:Â Shifting passengers from automobiles and buses to rail will lead to significant safety improvements, including an estimated reduction in highway fatalities.Â
Wider Platforms:Â Union Station platform enhancements will widen platforms, keeping passengers away from platform edges and improving flow in a part of the station that sees the most passenger traffic.Â
Freight Rail Safety:Â The South Branch Bridge project could feature freight rail safety enhancements by grade separating traffic over 21st St. interlocking. Separating freight traffic from crossing directly in front of passenger trains will eliminate conflicting movements and enhance reliability.
Access to Jobs:  CHIP will improve regional connectivity in the Chicago metro and the Midwest, creating broader access to economic opportunities in Chicago, the largest job center in the Midwest and the nation’s largest multimodal transportation hub.Â
For additional information about the Chicago Hub Improvement Program, email GovernmentAffairsCHI@amtrak.com.
