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Getting from downtown Chicago to O’Hare can be a test of patience and planning. But a newly proposed private airport train wants to make the trip in just 15 minutes—faster than it takes to decide whether you can justify surge pricing.
Called the O’Hare Flyer, the proposed battery-electric express train would run between a downtown station near the Old Post Office and O’Hare’s Terminal 2, departing every 15 minutes from 4 am to 10 pm. The team behind it says the service would offer cushier, airport-minded features such as luggage racks, comfortable seating and possibly even checked-bag service to passengers’ final destinations.
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That’s a decidedly swankier setup than the CTA Blue Line, which remains the reliable budget-minded choice for getting to the airport. The ride from the Loop generally takes about 45 minutes and costs between $2.50 and $5. The Flyer’s ticket price hasn’t been announced, though organizers say it would cost more than the Blue Line but “significantly” less than a taxi or rideshare.
There is just one $2.25 billion-sized catch: This train does not exist yet.
The private group behind the project says it wants to have the line up and running within five years, without government subsidies. But first, it needs to secure access to freight tracks owned by CSX, Canadian National and Union Pacific. The group has a letter of intent with CSX, but it has not finalized an agreement—and negotiations with CN and Union Pacific are still in their early stages. Union Pacific noted that about 500 freight trains move through the Chicago region daily, which is a polite way of saying there is a lot of existing rail traffic to work around.
The project could also require approvals from the Federal Railroad Administration, the Surface Transportation Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Chicago City Council. It also needs to reveal substantially more about its finances: organizers say an initial private funding round is complete and that they are seeking $18 million in a second round, but have not disclosed who the investors are or how much has been raised thus far.
Chicago has long dreamed of a faster airport link. In 2018, the city selected Elon Musk’s Boring Company for a proposed 12-minute Loop-to-O’Hare system, which never materialized. (The Flyer team believes its plan is more achievable because it would use existing freight rail rights-of-way rather than dig new tunnels.)
For now, then, the O’Hare Flyer is a compelling vision: a 15-minute ride, no traffic and perhaps no frantic run through Union Station. But until the railroads, regulators and investors all get on board, Chicagoans should keep that Blue Line fare handy.