Illinois Service

The Illinois Service, branded Amtrak Illinois, comprises three passenger rail routes operated by Amtrak in the American state of Illinois. The Illinois Service is funded primarily by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

The Chicago–Quincy Illinois Zephyr, an Illinois Service train.

Amtrak routes in Illinois. Continuous red lines are current Illinois Service routes, dashed red lines are planned Illinois Service routes, and blue lines are other long distance Amtrak routes.

Chicago is a terminus for all three Illinois Service routes, which all have multiple daily round trips:

• Chicago–Quincy: two round trips daily, the Illinois Zephyr and the Carl Sandburg^[1]
• Chicago–St. Louis Lincoln Service: four round trips daily and the only route that serves another state^[2]
• Chicago–Carbondale: two round trips daily, the Illini and the Saluki, and the only route whose trains have checked baggage service^[1]

Proposed expansion

v t e Illinois Service
Legend
0mi Chicago         La Grange 14 mi 23 km               24 mi 39 km Homewood         Naperville 28 mi 45 km       57 mi 92 km Kankakee   Plano 52 mi 84 km       82 mi 132 km Gilman Mendota 83 mi 134 km       115 mi 185 km Rantoul Princeton 104 mi 167 km       129 mi 208 km Champaign–Urbana           173 mi 278 km Mattoon Geneseo 142 mi 229 km         200 mi 322 km Effingham Moline Quad Cities 175 mi 282 km         253 mi 407 km Centralia       289 mi 465 km Du Quoin Kewanee 131 mi 211 km       309 mi 497 km Carbondale Illini & Saluki     Galesburg 162 mi 261 km       Macomb 202 mi 325 km     12 mi 19 km Summit     Quincy Illinois Zephyr & 258 mi 415 km     37 mi 60 km Joliet     Carl Sandburg     74 mi 119 km Dwight   92 mi 148 km Pontiac   124 mi 200 km Normal     156 mi 251 km Lincoln   185 mi 298 km Springfield   224 mi 360 km Carlinville   257 mi 414 km Alton     IL MO Mississippi River   284 mi 457 km St. Louis Lincoln Service

There are plans for two new Illinois Service routes:

• Chicago–Rockford Black Hawk: based on a former service to Dubuque that ran from 1974 to 1981, the route will use Metra and Union Pacific lines west from Chicago via Elgin
• Chicago–Moline Quad Cities: uses the existing Chicago–Quincy route between Chicago and Princeton, branching from it west of Wyanet to serve the Quad Cities via Geneseo

The routes were to have been added in late 2015^[3] but were put on hold by then-Governor Bruce Rauner.^[4] They were resurrected and funded in 2019 as part of a transportation bill supported by Governor J.B. Pritzker.^[5]

In addition to the two new routes, a committee was formed in late 2021 to study and promote extending the Chicago–Quincy route to Hannibal, Missouri.^[6]

In early 2022, studies are underway to reinstate Amtrak service to Peoria from Chicago.^[7]

See also

• Hiawatha Service

References

1. . Amtrak. National Railroad Passenger Corporation. 8 October 2006. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
2. . Amtrak. National Railroad Passenger Corporation. 14 October 2006. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
3. Bowen, Douglas John (5 December 2013). "NARP: New Amtrak Midwest routes advance". Railway Age. Simmons-Boardman Publishing Inc. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
4. "Plan for Amtrak service from Chicago to Rockford on hold". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
5. "Rail group celebrates 'big win' for Amtrak line from QC to Chicago". WQAD.com. 2019-10-23. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
6. Edlund, Clare (2022-01-04). "Hannibal coalition works to attract downtown Amtrak station". WGEM. Retrieved 2022-01-24.
7. "Proposed Peoria Amtrak route unveiled. Here are the next steps to restore train travel". Journal Star. Retrieved 2022-01-27.

External links

• Illinois Service on Amtrak's website
• Amtrak Illinois on IDOT's website