Naperville, IL
Stop on the proposed 17,000-mile maglev network. Next stop: Aurora, IL (9.1 mi).
About Naperville
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a city in the Chicago metropolitan area located 28 miles (45 km) west of the city on the DuPage River.
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: Naperville → Aurora | 9.1 mi × $500M/mi | $4.55B |
| Annual operations (share) | Staffing, power, maintenance | $30M/yr |
| Stop total (excl. annual ops) | $6.25B |
Best terminal location (proposed)
The downtown Naperville station district. Naperville's downtown Metra station is among the busiest in the suburbs, surrounded by a walkable downtown of shops and restaurants rather than parking lots. The BNSF corridor runs straight through, and the I-88 office corridor nearby guarantees a deep commuter catchment.
Before / after
Aerial mock-up (illustrative, not an engineering rendering). Left: the proposed site today. Right: with the maglev terminal.
- Warrenville, IL - small city just north of the leg
- Eola, IL - unincorporated community on the BNSF corridor
- Corridor note: no third town fits - this 9.1-mile hop sits inside the continuous Chicago suburbs