Union Pacific Railroad Remarks

Below are my prepared remarks from this morning — September 7, 2018 — at an event with Union Pacific Railroad and The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership.

Toni Preckwinkle
Sep 7, 2018 · 2 min read

Good morning, and a special thanks to the staff and team of the University Center for hosting us this morning. We have several speakers, so I will make my remarks brief.

I’m excited to be here to address two topics that have great importance to Cook County — railroads and jobs. And I am grateful to the Union Pacific for its continued engagement in our efforts supporting the rail industry and bringing good-paying jobs to our residents.

Historically, metropolitan Chicago has been the hub that connects travelers and goods to their final destinations. This region is critical to the transportation network of the nation.

• Approximately 50 percent of all intermodal trains move through the greater Chicago region each year.

• About 25 percent of the nation’s freight trains pass through our region.

• More than $1.5 trillion in goods pass through Cook County each year.

We are clearly North America’s freight capital.

That’s why when the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways prioritized the County’s transportation policy initiatives, we prioritized freight within the broad category of transportation, distribution and logistics (TDL).

TDL has and continues to play a long-standing role in serving as one of the vital economic strengths of the Chicago region. Our TDL sector, alone, contains roughly 92,000 jobs.

We need to continue to support TDL and the freight industry — and we are. Strategic investments are integral to drive long-term economic growth in North America’s busiest freight hub.

My administration worked hard to put Cook County at the table. We joined the CREATE program so we could be a partner in facilitating critical rail improvements for the region.

CREATE this year received a $132 million federal grant for the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project in Chicago. This investment will help untangle several freight and passenger rail lines on the city’s South Side that currently intersect and create significant delays, train idling and congestion.

Union Pacific has been a critical partner in our efforts to upgrade our infrastructure and also in our work to connect our residents with quality jobs.

I am grateful for UP’s partnership and look forward to continuing a relationship that makes our region stronger and supports robust workforce programs.

Again, thank you for invitation to address this important topic.

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