Huntley opts out of Rockford-to-Chicago Metra rail stop

HUNTLEY, Ill. (WTVO) — The Village of Huntley has dropped out of a planned stop in the forthcoming Rockford-to-Chicago Metra rail service.

Village Manager David Johnson said Huntley officials had officially notified the Illinois Department of Transportation that they were no longer interested in having a stop along the proposed train route, the Lake & McHenry County Scanner reported.

Johnson said the decision centered around concerns about how the train stop would impact traffic and parking downtown. He also said uncertainty around ridership numbers and Huntley’s financial commitments factored into the decision.

The initial announcement, made by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2023, said construction of the $275 million project would begin in 2025.

The project was to include stops in Belvidere, Huntley, and Elgin, on the Milwaukee West Line and Union Pacific Rail.

The train service will include two round trips every day, which are expected to take about 2 hours in travel time.

Since its founding in 1984, Metra has become one of the largest and most comprehensive passenger rail systems in North America. The system includes nearly 500 miles of track with 242 stations on 11 routes.

IDOT said the line will connect Rockford to Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Carbondale, and twenty other communities in between.