From his office, Earl Wacker can see the trails of aircraft flying towards O'Hare International, one of the world's busiest airports. But Mr Wacker's sights are focused on the gritty railway yard below his office window. As director of the Chicago Transportation Co-ordination Office (CTCO), he wants to improve an overburdened system that handles one-third of America's rail traffic. At present, a freight train trying to get across Chicago has to deal with up to four railroads: it can take days to get it across town. If you are still waiting for your Christmas present, it may be somewhere close to the Windy City. Six of America's seven long-distance railroads meet there: add in local and regional services, and about 1,200 trains a day pass through the city. In addition to O'Hare, it also has a mid-sized airport at Midway. Seven interstate highways come through the region, and trucks move $572 billion in goods to, from and through it each year.
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