New 'O'Hare Flyer' Train Would Cut Loop-to-O'Hare Trip to 15 Minutes

A group of Chicago business and civic leaders wants to build a train that would get travelers from downtown to O'Hare International Airport in 15 minutes flat, using freight rail lines that already crisscross the city but rarely see passenger traffic.

The group, calling itself the O'Hare Flyer, announced the plan Tuesday. It calls for a battery-electric train running on continuous rail between a planned station near the Old Post Office on Van Buren Street and Terminal 2 at O'Hare. The train would recharge at that downtown station between trips and run every 15 minutes, according to the group.

"O'Hare Flyer will connect our world class downtown with our world class airport in fifteen minutes," said Dave Lundy, the group's founder and chief executive officer. "This is a first-of-its-kind express train in the U.S. and will give Chicago a safe, reliable, world-class rider experience on a fast, whisper-quiet battery-electric train."

The group says the route would rely on three freight corridors that are currently underused: lines owned by CSX, Canadian National and Union Pacific. Mark Walbrun, the group's chief engineering officer, said combining those existing rights-of-way would let the Flyer offer dedicated express service without laying new track through the city.

Riders would get concierge-level service, comfortable seating and luggage racks, the group said. Organizers put the trip time at roughly 30 minutes faster than the CTA Blue Line, which currently connects the Loop to O'Hare with regular stops along the way.

Kristi Lafleur, a co-founder of the group, said the project is meant to be an economic driver as well as a faster way to reach the airport. "For decades, Chicago's economic and political leaders have dreamt about a fast connection between O'Hare and Downtown because it is economic development rocket fuel," Lafleur said. "This quiet, pollution-free electric train will attract visitors and more businesses to downtown and the region. It is also important and noteworthy that it will be led by and for Chicagoans."

The O'Hare Flyer is structured as a private venture. The group said it is not seeking public funding or government subsidies to build or operate the line, a detail organizers are highlighting as they begin talks with city officials, business groups, finance firms and community organizations. The group says its goal is to have the train running within five years, though it has not released a construction timeline, cost estimate or specific station design beyond the downtown terminus near the Old Post Office.

Chicago has weighed express rail to O'Hare for decades. The idea resurfaces periodically, tied to hopes of luring conventions, business travelers and tourists who currently choose between the Blue Line, ride-hailing services or driving. None of the previous proposals has broken ground, and questions about right-of-way access, freight railroad cooperation and financing have typically stalled them before construction.

The Flyer group's pitch differs from earlier efforts in that it says it can avoid new track construction by threading trains through existing freight corridors rather than building a dedicated line from scratch. Whether CSX, Canadian National and Union Pacific are willing to share capacity with a passenger operation, and on what terms, has not been detailed publicly.

Mayor Brandon Johnson's office and the Chicago Department of Aviation had not issued a public response to the proposal as of Tuesday. The group said its outreach to public officials and business, finance and community groups is ongoing, with more meetings planned in the coming months. No public hearing or City Council vote on the project has been scheduled.