Chicago’s O’Hare Flyer aims to make the airport run a 15-minute trip

Chicago has long called itself America’s railroad capital. Now, a group of Chicago business and civic leaders wants to put that legacy back on the fast track with a bold new idea: the O’Hare Flyer, a proposed airport express train that would whisk travelers from downtown to O’Hare International Airport in just 15 minutes.

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The project, announced Tuesday, August 25, is being billed as the first airport express train in the United States, with trains departing every 15 minutes on a dedicated track and arriving at O’Hare’s Terminal 2. The privately developed project is designed to offer a faster, quieter and more polished alternative to the sometimes unpredictable trip between the Loop and O’Hare. 

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“O’Hare Flyer will connect our world class downtown with our world class airport in fifteen minutes,” said founder and CEO Dave Lundy. “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.”

And this isn't simply a faster version of the Blue Line. The O’Hare Flyer is envisioned as a dedicated express service using existing but underused freight rail rights-of-way. The route would utilize tracks owned by three major railroads: CSX, Canadian National and Union Pacific. The project has reached an agreement with CSX through a Letter of Intent and is continuing discussions with the other two railroads as reported in Axios. 

The proposed downtown station would be located near the Old Post Office, while the O’Hare station would be at Terminal 2. The route would combine existing rail corridors with new dedicated track, allowing the Flyer to avoid the stops and congestion that make the current CTA Blue Line trip considerably longer. The project team says the trains would travel at an average speed of about 80 mph per the Chicago Sun-Times. 

For travelers, the experience is intended to feel more like an airport service than a traditional commuter train. The battery-electric trains would feature comfortable seating, luggage racks in every car and concierge-level service. They would recharge at stations downtown and at O’Hare, eliminating the need for overhead electric wires along the route.

“This is an important first for Chicago and for the country,” said O’Hare Flyer founder and Chief Engineering Officer Mark Walbrun. “O’Hare Flyer will build on Chicago’s heritage as America’s rail capital and center of innovation.”

The project is being developed as a private endeavor and is not seeking government subsidies or funding that could otherwise go toward CTA or Metra. The team says it has spent the past three years assembling engineering, architecture, law, urban planning, design, marketing and public relations partners, with many of those firms based in Chicago. 

The proposal also comes with a major economic-development pitch. Kristi Lafleur, an O’Hare Flyer co-founder and former Illinois Tollway and Chicago Skyway executive, said a fast downtown-to-airport connection has long been viewed as an important ingredient for attracting visitors, companies and investment.

The project is also expected to create construction and long-term employment opportunities. The O’Hare Flyer team says it plans to execute a Project Labor Agreement with the Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council, with an emphasis on local contractors and union labor.

The idea of a rapid downtown-to-O’Hare connection is hardly new. Chicago has seen several proposals over the years, including Elon Musk’s short-lived plan for an underground express connection. The difference this time, proponents say, is that the O’Hare Flyer can take advantage of existing freight corridors rather than building an entirely new underground system per the Chicago Sun-Times. 

The price tag is currently estimated at about $2.25 billion, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, and the project still needs additional agreements and approvals before construction can move forward. The team is targeting a launch within five years, with preliminary construction potentially beginning in 2027 if approvals fall into place. 

If it becomes reality, the O’Hare Flyer could change one of the most frustrating rituals of Chicago travel: figuring out how much time to leave to get from downtown to the airport. Instead of allowing an hour or more for the trip, travelers could someday grab their luggage, hop aboard a quiet electric train 

For more information and project updates, visit O’Hare Flyer.