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Chillicothe Subdivision

Legend

to Marceline Subdivision

234.3

Fort Madison

234.0

East Fort Madison

Fort Madison Toll Bridge

over the Mississippi River

Iowa

Illinois

230.7

Niota

218.9

Lomax

208.9

Stronghurst

204.6

Media

200.7

Smithshire

191.9

Ormonde

Ottumwa Subdivision

186.0

Cameron

184.4

CP1844

Galesburg Terminal

Barstow Subdivision

Mendota Subdivision

173.7

Yost

158.4

Williamsfield

153.5

Laura

149.5

Monica

144.7

Princeville

139.5

CP 1359

UP Peoria Subdivision

138.1

Edelstein

132.0

West Chillicothe

IAIS Peoria Branch

129.1

East Chillicothe

Illinois River

119.5

Wilbern

116.0

La Rose

109.9

Toluca

106.5

Ruff

102.1

Leeds

95.8

Ancona

Vermilion River

91.5

CP915

Streator

Illinois Rail Net Fox River Branch

84.4

Kernan

79.8

Ransom

74.8

Kinsman

70.8

Verona

66.1

Mazon

58.2

Coal City

57.2

Pequot

52.5

Lorenzo

Kankakee River

50.3

Blodget Ord

49.7

CP496

48.0

Drummond

Logistics Park Chicago

46.5

CP465

46.2

CP460

41.5

Plaines

37.5

Joliet

Metra Rock Island District

CN Leighton Subdivision

32.7

Lockport

29.3

Romeo

27.8

Union Oil Co

26.0

Thomas Steel

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

Des Plaines River

23.0

Argonne

19.3

CP193

17.6

CP176

17.0

Willow Springs

15.5

CP155

14.4

Harbor

IHB Main Line

12.8

McCook

to CN Waukesha Subdivision via
alongside BRC Kenton Line (proposed)

Des Plaines River

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

BRC Kenton Line

5.9

Corwith

←CN South Bend Subdivision via Corwith Yard

CN Waukesha Subdivision (proposed)→

4.7

Begin Chillicothe Subdivision

to CSX Blue Island Subdivision
and CN Waukesha Subdivision

Amtrak Southwest Chief

The Chillicothe Subdivision or "Chillicothe Sub" (slang "Chilli Sub") is a railway line^[1] running about 229 miles (369 km) from Chicago, Illinois to Fort Madison, Iowa in the United States of America. It is operated by BNSF Railway^[2] as part of their Southern Transcon route from Chicago to Los Angeles. The Chillicothe Subdivision is a high volume route connecting three principal yards in Chicago (Corwith, Willow Springs,^[3] and Logistics Park Chicago) in the east and the Marceline Subdivision in the west which continues to Kansas City.

Construction and physical structure

The Chillicothe Subdivision was constructed in segments beginning in 1873 by railroads that fell under the influence of and later merged into the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway; with the first tracks laid between Streator, Illinois and Ancona, Illinois by the Chicago, Pekin and Southwestern Railroad. The line opened to traffic between Kansas City and Chicago in 1888.^[4] This line is double tracked for its entire length and crosses the Mississippi River between Fort Madison, Iowa and Niota, Illinois on a double track swing bridge (Fort Madison Toll Bridge).

The Chillicothe Subdivision makes numerous connections with other BNSF mainlines including the Ottumwa, Mendota, Barstow, Brookfield and Peoria Subdivisions within the Galesburg terminal complex. The route runs parallel to the Hannibal Subdivision for a short distance within the city of Fort Madison but there is not an active connection between them as traffic from Galesburg to St Louis is routed over the Brookfield Subdivision. Principal connections with other carriers include the Norfolk Southern at Streator and the CSX Blue Island Subdivision in Chicago near Corwith. As a former AT&SF route, mileposts are counted from the former Dearborn Station in Chicago although track was abandoned east of the CSX connection in 1996.^[5]

In 2019, a direct connection was completed between the Chillicothe Subdivision and the Chicago Subdivision which will allow the former BN and AT&SF lines to exchange traffic between Corwith and Cicero Yards without hazardous and time consuming backup movements.^[6] This project was completed as part of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE) Western Avenue corridor designed to align rail movements through the city along Western Avenue ^[7]

Freight operations

Traffic on the line is dominated by intermodal traffic flowing to and from the three yards in Chicago in a mixture of high priority "Z-Trains" with freight from UPS, FedEx Ground and LTL trucking firms; "Q-Trains" guaranteed intermodal with primarily domestic shippers like JB Hunt and Schneider frequently seen; and lower priority "S-Trains" with ocean containers. The names reflect BNSF current train symbol methodology although in radio communications trains are usually referred to by their lead locomotive's number.

There are also frequent run through trains in partnership with eastern railroads. Intermodal trains can frequently be quite long with consists up to 16,000 feet being run on the Southern Transcon route since it is predominantly doubletracked across its entire length. In 2021 increasing numbers of unit trains carrying wind turbine parts have been seen as well.

The Union Pacific has trackage rights over BNSF lines from Chicago to Kansas City and uses the Chillicothe Subdivision to reach its Global 4 intermodal facility near Joliet, Illinois.

Passenger operations

This line was home to AT&SF passenger traffic in the pre Amtrak era, but passenger trains have been routed over the ex-Burlington Northern (CB&Q) Mendota Subdivision from Chicago to Galesburg since 1996.^[8] The Southwest Chief currently joins the Chillicothe Subdivision at the Cameron Connection west of Galesburg, before making a stop in Ft. Madison and continuing west on the Marceline Subdivision.

On December 15, 2021, Amtrak moved the Fort Madison passenger station from the historic division and crew change point, known as Shopton, within the Fort Madison yard to the prior AT&SF Fort Madison station on the Chillicothe Subdivision.^[9]