Peoria Station

    BNSF coal train bound for Havana, Illinois passes track equipment at Gilson on the Galesburg – Peoria line May 16, 2009.

PEORIA – BNSF Railway, one of two major western rail carriers, is upgrading their 50-mile Galesburg – Peoria line for higher speeds. Reliable sources indicate mainline track speeds will increase from the current 25mph to 40mph when the project is completed.

 Officially known as the “Peoria Subdivision,” BNSF’s Galesburg – Peoria line passes through Knoxville, Gilson, Maquon, Douglas, Yates City, Elmwood, Oak Hill, Edwards and Pottstown. Most traffic consists of coal trains bound for Canton (AmerenCILCO’s Duck Creek Station), Decatur (ADM) and Havana (Southern Coal Handling), but tri-weekly merchandise trains (operated by the Toledo, Peoria & Western) and occasional grain and potash trains also use the line. 

Peoria area industries such as ADM, Amerhart, Aventine Renewable Energy, Behr Peoria, Caterpillar, CF Industries, Evonik Degussa, Keystone Steel & Wire, Komatsu America International, Linde Gases, Morton Buildings, Mosaic and MGP Ingredients of Illinois make use of BNSF’s Peoria line for their raw materials and/or finished products.

Check out this BNSF system map to see how the Galesburg – Peoria line ties into this major western system.

- David P. Jordan