ANALYSIS: As we previously reported in April the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) advertised a Request for Information and Interest (RFI&I) regarding the development of express rail service connecting the Chicago central business district and O’Hare International Airport. Responses to the RFI&I are due on July 26, 2011.

On Friday the Department of Aviation issued responses to questions raised by those showing interest. airrail NEWS has reviewed the answers to see if the likely size and shape of the future Chicago rail link can be determined by the answers given.

Those who have read the RFI&I will know that this request is unusual, for there is no apparent feasibility study at this stage, yet it is envisaged that consortia will form to design build and operate with the risk sitting firmly with the concessionaire. So, what is the vision of the CDA?
Your questions answered?

Many of the questions asked about the feasibility done to date, revenue and ridership forecasts, the likely right of way, preliminary engineering, location of stations and potential maintenance facilities and the type of rail system envisaged. The consistent answer was that nothing has been done to date and it is for the concessionaire to determine.

There was also concern that anything submitted at this stage would have a large development cost attached to it and yet without competition, contract and obligations of both sides any proprietary information submitted would be open to freedom of information (FOI) requests. The CDA did however say that they will try where possible to avoid disclosure under FOI and would be sympathetic to the costs of oral presentation.

So what do we know from the more explicit answers to the questions? Well the CDA did reveal that they prefer a one seat ride, that no public funding is ‘anticipated’ at this stage (perhaps a portent to a future compromise on public funding at some later stage?). We also know that the concessionaire has the responsibility to acquire the right of way - though the City will assist the Concessionaire in ‘facilitating’ property acquisition. This seems like a lot of risk stacked up with any lucky concessionaire.

The future
The CDA were non committal to the timescales for a procurement process or opening times though this will be developed after the responses to the RFI&I have been considered.

So, if you are registered as a lobbyist in the City of Chicago (a requirement) and have very deep pockets and like to take a risk it looks like there is a huge opportunity in Chicago. Whether the CDA have listened to all the rhetoric that Airport Expresses are ‘profitable’ or they think the Chinese will do it for strategic reasons remains to be seen.

For sure, airrail NEWS will be the first place you will hear about developments on this interesting project.

www.ordexpressrail.com

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