Joliet, IL
Stop on the proposed 17,000-mile maglev network. Next stop: Naperville, IL (18.3 mi).
About Joliet
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Chicago, it is the county seat of Will County.
Source: Wikipedia summary (full article). Population and facts as published there.
Cost breakdown (proposal-scale estimates — see math)
| Item | Basis | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal construction | Mid-size terminal (parametric range $1-2B) | $1.5B |
| Land acquisition | Regional factor 1× on $200M base | $200M |
| Track: Joliet → Naperville | 18.3 mi × $500M/mi | $9.15B |
| Annual operations (share) | Staffing, power, maintenance | $30M/yr |
| Stop total (excl. annual ops) | $10.85B |
Best terminal location (proposed)
The Joliet Gateway Center (Union Station) district. Joliet's restored Union Station already serves Metra's Rock Island and Heritage Corridor lines plus Amtrak, making it the southwest suburbs' rail hub. The surrounding downtown blocks and rail yard offer build room, and the station sits at the junction of multiple freight corridors that could host guideways.
Before / after
Aerial mock-up (illustrative, not an engineering rendering). Left: the proposed site today. Right: with the maglev terminal.
- Romeoville, IL - village on the I-55 corridor
- Bolingbrook, IL - large suburb midway on the route
- Plainfield, IL - Will County village on the corridor