Editing Rockford, Illinois (section)

===Rail===
====Passenger====

For over four decades, the Rockford region has not been served by passenger rail. From 1974 to 1981, Rockford was served by [[Amtrak]] via its [[Black Hawk (Amtrak train)|''Black Hawk'']] route, a daily train service from [[Dubuque, Iowa]] to [[Union Station (Chicago)|Union Station]] in [[Chicago]] with a stop in Rockford. The ''Black Hawk'' was discontinued in September 1981 as part of funding cuts to Amtrak.

During the 2000s, interest increased in relinking the Rockford and Chicago regions by rail. In 2006, the [[Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative]] proposed extending [[Metra]] train service from the western Chicago suburbs to Rockford.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.rrstar.com/belvidere/x914621510 | title=All aboard? Commuter rail could take 3 to 5 years | work=[[Rockford Register Star]] | date=April 30, 2008 | first=Thomas V | last=Bona | access-date=April 30, 2008}}{{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> During the early 2010s, there was design work on a planned 2015 revival of the ''Black Hawk'' route on [[Canadian National]] rails,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.trainorders.com/dr04/BlackHawk/|title=Amtrak Black Hawk|access-date=July 16, 2012}}</ref> with Rockford as the initial terminus. As part of the ongoing Illinois financial crisis, state funding for the ''Black Hawk'' revival was suspended in February 2015, putting the project on hold.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-plan-for-amtrak-service-from-chicago-to-rockford-on-hold-20150209-story.html|title=Plan for Amtrak service from Chicago to Rockford on hold|agency=Associated Press|work=chicagotribune.com|access-date=July 17, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> The service was later funded in 2019 with the support of [[J. B. Pritzker|Governor J.B. Pritzker]]. In 2023, it was announced that Metra would provide service to Rockford as an extension of the [[Milwaukee District West Line]], with twice-daily service in each direction beginning in 2027.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schobinger |first1=Meghan |title=Metra to bring rail service to Rockford, Belvidere in 2027 |url=https://www.wifr.com/2023/07/06/metra-bring-rail-service-rockford-belvidere-2027/ |access-date=July 6, 2023 |work=[[WIFR-LD]] |date=July 6, 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Neveau |first1=James |title=Metra to restore rail service between Rockford, Chicago for first time in 40 years |url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/metra-to-restore-rail-service-between-rockford-chicago-for-first-time-in-40-years/3181232/ |access-date=July 6, 2023 |work=NBC Chicago |date=July 6, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Gov. Pritzker Announces Partnership with Metra to Restore Chicago-Rockford Passenger Rail Service |url=https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.26687.html |website=www.illinois.gov |access-date=July 6, 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Chicago to Rockford {{!}} Illinois Passenger Rail |url=http://www.chicagotorockfordrail.org/ |website=www.chicagotorockfordrail.org |date=July 6, 2023}}</ref>

====Freight====
Rockford is served by several different freight railroad lines, the [[Union Pacific]], the [[Canadian National]], the [[Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad|Iowa, Chicago & Eastern]] ([[Canadian Pacific]]), and the [[Illinois Railway]]. The Union Pacific line from [[West Chicago]] terminates in Rockford at a small yard.

The Canadian National line from [[Addison, Illinois|Addison]] enters from the Southeast and leaves in the Northwest. They have a small yard where they interchange with the [[Illinois Railway]]. The [[Illinois Railway]] Rockford Line comes from the South, joins the Canadian National line, where they continue on [[trackage rights]] to the Canadian National yard. Canadian Pacific (Iowa, Chicago, and Eastern) runs on Illinois Railway trackage rights from Davis Junction, and leaves on their own trackage to the North. All of the railroads interchange at a yard off of Main Street.

The Union Pacific Railroad's Global III Intermodal Facility is approximately {{convert|25|mi|km|0}} south of Rockford in [[Rochelle, Illinois]], a community of 10,000. The complex is one of the world's largest [[intermodal freight transport|intermodal]] facilities.{{Citation needed|date=June 2007}} Construction on the state-of-the-art facility was completed in 2003 in Rochelle due to the close proximity to four interstate highways (I-39, I-88, I-80, and I-90) and rail routes.