Investment announced to improve safety at 1,400 Illinois rail crossings

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has announced that is has approved its annual five-year plan for the Crossing Safety Improvement Program (CSIP) to begin implementing highway-rail safety capital projects across the state.

Carrie Zalewski, ICC Chairman, said: “Rail crossing safety has always been a top priority of the Illinois Commerce Commission to prevent the loss of life due to train-related collisions. The CSIP enables the ICC to identify and help provide funding for much-needed rail crossing safety projects on local roads and streets in communities throughout Illinois.”

From 2021 to 2025, the ICC will spend over $315 million – taken from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund (GCPF), which was created by state law to assist local jurisdictions (counties, townships and municipalities) in paying for safety improvements at highway-rail crossings on local roads and streets only – and invest the money into helping local communities and railroads pay for safety improvements at over 1,400 crossing locations.

ICC’s five-year plan proposes aid from the GCPF on 23 highway-rail bridge projects, four pedestrian-rail bridge projects, over 330 new grade crossing projects and low-cost improvements at over 1,000 crossing locations.