The Lenox Tower interlocking machine, built in 1924, was switched off in 2018 and the Lenox Tower was torn down in 2021. The Illinois Department of Transportation this week announced the completion of the $10 million rail service upgrade project. 

MITCHELL – A $10 million project to modernize rail operations in the Metro East has been completed, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Work on the Lenox Tower was a collaboration between IDOT, the Federal Railroad Administration, multiple state and regional railroads.

“These improvements are an important piece of the puzzle, vital to freight and passenger rail movement through the state,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said. “They could not have been accomplished without incredible teamwork at the state and federal level and with our railroad partners.”

Since the 1920s the tower had controlled part of the train movement through the Metro East.

However, moving functions from the tower, which used antiquated switching machinery to control trains northeast of Granite City, and making other improvements, had long been a major priority for local transportation officials.

“Amtrak happily made a $1 million investment in this project because of the immediate benefit it provides to our customers on the 10 Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains that use this track daily,” said Ray Lang, Amtrak vice president for state-supported services. “IDOT, UP and Amtrak all want to eliminate delays and reduce travel times on the popular Chicago-St. Louis corridor, and this work is part of that continuous initiative.”

Lenox Tower itself was a two-story brick building constructed in 1924 located alongside a Union Pacific railroad track six miles northeast of Granite City. It housed a device called an interlocking machine, which was used to direct train traffic and prevent collisions.

The interlocking machine, which dated back to the construction of the building, is made of 80 pistol-grip levers used to control the rails. A model board hanging from the ceiling shows each switch location on the tracks. While safe, the system was considered very inefficient.  

In 2018 the operations were transferred to a Union Pacific dispatching center in Omaha and the building was torn down in 2021.

“We congratulate the Illinois Department of Transportation, Union Pacific Railroad, Amtrak, BNSF Railway and Kansas City Southern Railway on completion of the Lenox Tower project,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “This successful collaboration exemplifies how rail infrastructure investments can improve the movement of freight and passengers alike.”

The project included the untangling of the complex system of tracks, signals and switches where four lines intersect at one of the most congested areas in the state near Mitchell.

The system caused freight train bottlenecks at the intersection because they had to slow down a great deal. With improvements those trains will be able to move through more quickly, causing less backup.

Officials also said previously it will improve other transportation modes in the area – ranging from decreased wait times at intersections to faster transfer of goods between rail, barge and truck at various intermodal yards in the Metro East.

“Illinoisans will be able to get to where they are going quicker with streamlined tracks, higher speeds, centralized operations, and decongested local roads,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a released statement. “This investment is just another way that we are solidifying Illinois’ status as the premier transportation hub of the nation – and it’s only just the beginning.”

The project was made possible by a $5.1 million grant from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program, administered by the Federal Railroad Administration, with contributions of $1.3 million from IDOT, $2 million from Union Pacific Railroad, $1 million from Amtrak, $440,000 from BNSF Railway and $300,000 from Kansas City Southern Railway.

“Union Pacific is pleased the Lenox Tower project is complete, resulting in more efficient freight and passenger rail service,” said Liisa Stark, Union Pacific’s vice president of public affairs. “This project is a great example of a successful partnership leveraging infrastructure investments that benefit both the public and private sectors to support the economy.”

Trained as a photojournalist, Scott Cousins has 40 years of experience covering all aspects of news, primarily in the Metro East. His primary beats for The Telegraph in Alton include Madison County government and criminal filings, and he remains committed to the idea that a newspaper's first responsibility is to inform the public about what government is doing.