For Immediate Release (26-09)
October 26, 2026
Contact: Joe Aiello (jaiello@narprail.org)
WASHINGTON, DC — The Rail Passengers Association today welcomed a significant change in the Federal review process for Amtrak’s proposed Midwest Maintenance Facility at Chicago’s Canal Street Yard, following weeks of public concern about the project’s environmental impacts, site selection, and lack of meaningful community engagement.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has made public a new Federal permitting dashboard indicating that the agency is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed facility, even though an earlier determination held that the project qualified for a Categorical Exclusion, or CE, from more extensive environmental review.
The link to that dashboard is here: https://www.permits.performance.gov/permitting-project/dot-projects/midwest-maintenance-facilities
The EA is expected to be released shortly, triggering an anticipated 30-day public comment period. FRA has also indicated that it plans to hold two public meetings, with dates and details forthcoming.
“This is a welcome and important step forward,” said Jim Mathews, President and CEO of the Rail Passengers Association. “We’ve said from the beginning that Amtrak needs modern maintenance facilities in Chicago. That hasn’t changed. But how and where we build those facilities matters, too. Communities deserve to understand what is being proposed, how decisions were reached, and what the consequences will be for the people who live nearby.”
The Association credited the persistent efforts of residents, community organizations, and elected officials who have pressed for greater transparency and public participation.
“Public engagement should never be viewed as an obstacle to building good infrastructure,” Mathews added. “It’s a vital part of building good infrastructure. This new review gives everyone an opportunity to move beyond competing claims and examine the actual evidence.”
The Rail Passengers Association intends to review the Environmental Assessment and supporting technical documents, examining the project’s operational requirements, site alternatives, environmental impacts, and proposed mitigation measures. The Association will also submit formal comments and work with residents and elected officials to ensure that community concerns receive substantive consideration.
To help residents participate, the Association is conducting an independent survey of communities affected by the proposed facility, including Armour Square, Bridgeport, and Chinatown. The survey invites residents to identify concerns about noise, air quality, traffic, construction, neighborhood impacts, and potential community benefits.
“These neighborhoods have been asking for a meaningful voice in decisions that will affect them for generations,” said Joe Aiello, the Association’s Director of Community Engagement and Organizing and a former Armour Square resident. “Now we have an opportunity to put those concerns on the record, backed by the experiences and observations of the people who know these communities best.”
Residents are encouraged to complete the Association’s survey at www.railpassengers.org/canalyardsurvey, follow the FRA’s public permitting dashboard, review the Environmental Assessment when published, and submit their own comments during the official comment period. The Association’s survey will help inform its participation but does not replace submitting comments directly to FRA.
“This isn’t the end of the discussion,” Mathews concluded. “It’s the beginning of a better one. We want Amtrak to succeed, we want Chicago to have the rail infrastructure it needs, and we want the surrounding communities to be treated as partners in that success.”
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About Rail Passengers Association: with 127,000 members, donors, and supporters, the non-profit Rail Passengers Association is the oldest and largest national organization serving as a voice for the more than 40 million rail passengers in the U.S. Our mission is to improve and expand conventional intercity and regional passenger train services, support higher speed rail initiatives, increase connectivity among all forms of transportation, and ensure safety for our country’s trains and passengers. All of this makes communities safer, more accessible, and more productive, improving the lives of everyone who lives, works, and plays in towns all across America.