looks like new Illinois Amtrak service is coming

[boratwanksta]

in an article in the front page of today's Pantagraph(i searched, and its strangely not on the internet!), it says the new Illinois state budget calls for $12 million for additional Amtrak service. i've heard in recent weeks that the plan was to add an additional round-trip between Chicago and Carbondale, 2 additional trains betwen Chicago and St. Louis, and another round-trip between Chicago and Quincy(though today's article strangely only confirmed the Chicago-Carbondale train was in the proposal, and the 2 additional trains would be at least inbetwen Chicago and Springfield). i'm assuming the $12 million is still for 4 additional trains(including a Chicago-Quincy train), and not just the 3 train runs that were confirmed in the Pantagraph.

although its down from 5 trains(as the original Amtrak proposal for adding trains called for) and not an additional $30 million, i think any improvement in service would be great(and i'd like to see the schedule of at least 1-2 of the Chi-STL trains adjusted to run 30-45 minutes later, especially the NB #300 State House). its especially needed for the Chicago-Carbondale route, since with the current City of New Orleans/Illini schedule, the only northbound trains running from Carbondale are in the late evening/overnight hours, and in the late afternoon(not to mention both north and southbound trains along this route often sell out, and CNO trains usually sell out as far south as Memphis at least 1-3 times a week). personally, i'd have the Illini trains running to Memphis if the funding was there(and if Amtrak could work out a funding agreement with Kentucky and Tennessee), but i'd be very satisfied with this proposal if it passed!

i hope this will spur eventual efforts in Missouri and Michigan to add Amtrak service, though i know the chances of that are likely a very long shot.

 

[Windy City LSA]

in an article in the front page of today's Pantagraph(i searched, and its strangely not on the internet!), it says the new Illinois state budget calls for $12 million for additional Amtrak service. i've heard in recent weeks that the plan was to add an additional round-trip between Chicago and Carbondale, 2 additional trains betwen Chicago and St. Louis, and another round-trip between Chicago and Quincy(though today's article strangely only confirmed the Chicago-Carbondale train was in the proposal, and the 2 additional trains would be at least inbetwen Chicago and Springfield). i'm assuming the $12 million is still for 4 additional trains(including a Chicago-Quincy train), and not just the 3 train runs that were confirmed in the Pantagraph.
although its down from 5 trains(as the original Amtrak proposal for adding trains called for) and not an additional $30 million, i think any improvement in service would be great(and i'd like to see the schedule of at least 1-2 of the Chi-STL trains adjusted to run 30-45 minutes later, especially the NB #300 State House). its especially needed for the Chicago-Carbondale route, since with the current City of New Orleans/Illini schedule, the only northbound trains running from Carbondale are in the late evening/overnight hours, and in the late afternoon(not to mention both north and southbound trains along this route often sell out, and CNO trains usually sell out as far south as Memphis at least 1-3 times a week). personally, i'd have the Illini trains running to Memphis if the funding was there(and if Amtrak could work out a funding agreement with Kentucky and Tennessee), but i'd be very satisfied with this proposal if it passed!

i hope this will spur eventual efforts in Missouri and Michigan to add Amtrak service, though i know the chances of that are likely a very long shot.

This is news I've been waiting for. I will now seek out more information. If they add these routes, it would possibly mean that I could hold a regular job and get off the dreadful Extra Board.

On an unrelated note...I returned yesterday from my first solo run in the Dining Car on 5/6. I'm happy to say I survived...although it was nightmarish, and I'm still beyond exhausted. Back on call tomorrow and probably out to somewhere Friday, though. I have no idea how long it would take for these extra routes to begin, but it's probably not soon enough.

 

[AmtrakFan]

Windy City LSA,

From what I am hearing IL wants to get it up and running sometime next year.

 

[boratwanksta]

in an article in the front page of today's Pantagraph(i searched, and its strangely not on the internet!), it says the new Illinois state budget calls for $12 million for additional Amtrak service. i've heard in recent weeks that the plan was to add an additional round-trip between Chicago and Carbondale, 2 additional trains betwen Chicago and St. Louis, and another round-trip between Chicago and Quincy(though today's article strangely only confirmed the Chicago-Carbondale train was in the proposal, and the 2 additional trains would be at least inbetwen Chicago and Springfield). i'm assuming the $12 million is still for 4 additional trains(including a Chicago-Quincy train), and not just the 3 train runs that were confirmed in the Pantagraph.
although its down from 5 trains(as the original Amtrak proposal for adding trains called for) and not an additional $30 million, i think any improvement in service would be great(and i'd like to see the schedule of at least 1-2 of the Chi-STL trains adjusted to run 30-45 minutes later, especially the NB #300 State House). its especially needed for the Chicago-Carbondale route, since with the current City of New Orleans/Illini schedule, the only northbound trains running from Carbondale are in the late evening/overnight hours, and in the late afternoon(not to mention both north and southbound trains along this route often sell out, and CNO trains usually sell out as far south as Memphis at least 1-3 times a week). personally, i'd have the Illini trains running to Memphis if the funding was there(and if Amtrak could work out a funding agreement with Kentucky and Tennessee), but i'd be very satisfied with this proposal if it passed!

i hope this will spur eventual efforts in Missouri and Michigan to add Amtrak service, though i know the chances of that are likely a very long shot.

This is news I've been waiting for. I will now seek out more information. If they add these routes, it would possibly mean that I could hold a regular job and get off the dreadful Extra Board.

On an unrelated note...I returned yesterday from my first solo run in the Dining Car on 5/6. I'm happy to say I survived...although it was nightmarish, and I'm still beyond exhausted. Back on call tomorrow and probably out to somewhere Friday, though. I have no idea how long it would take for these extra routes to begin, but it's probably not soon enough.

hmmm, i should've added from that article that the state budget hasn't been approved yet, but it looks very, very likely that this will make it into whatever the final budget turns out to be. anyway though, i'm excited that i can almost certainly look foward to some new Amtrak service next year, at least locally(since i'm from this state).

now if Amtrak could finally get some respect from the federal government(other than from the half-dozen or so states that do help fund extra Amtrak service), and be able to add additional trains to long-distance routes(i.e. a Coast Daylight, an equivalent to the Panama Limited(or whatever the daytime version of the City of New Orleans was called), and start some new long-distance routes....

 

[AmtrakFan]

Like the Pioneer/Desert Wind and then run them with the CZ once they get new cars. I truly think this Budget will pass I know the House passed it today and the Senate might sometime this week.

 

[VT Hokie]

Is Amtrak making any progress toward the overdue 110 mph operation between Chicago and Springfield? I was under the impression that track and signal upgrades were nearing completion.

 

[boratwanksta]

found an article that definately confirms that the additional Amtrak funding has now been approved as part of the new state budget:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/new...ews.pl?id=20490

 

[George Harris]

Is Amtrak making any progress toward the overdue 110 mph operation between Chicago and Springfield? I was under the impression that track and signal upgrades were nearing completion.

personally, i'd have the Illini trains running to Memphis if the funding was there(and if Amtrak could work out a funding agreement with Kentucky and Tennessee), but i'd be very satisfied with this proposal if it passed!

This 110 mph is getting to be years overdue. With this discussion on additional trains to Springfield / St. Louis are they talking about faster schedules?

Those of us that have called the Mmephis area home would like to see the Carbondale trains exteded southward, too. It would be nice to have a day train to Chicago, and could we hope, to St. Louis as well.

In Illinois Central days, the City of New Orleans was a day train taking 16.5 hours Chicago to New Orleans with early morning departures at both end points. The Panama Limited was a 16.5 hour night train, leaving at 4:30 pm from the end points, and for most of its life was all Pullman. In the last few years, coaches were added but marketed as a separate train under the train name of Magnolia Star.

George

 

[Guest from Chi]

I'm intrigued by the idea of extending the Carbondale train to Memphis. With Carbondale as an endpoint, SIU students are certainly a great market, but what will this train look like in the summer, and most weekdays. Putting a bigger city at the far end of the run would stabilize ridership, I'd think. Is the Tennessee government interested in this? Or is it just wishful thinking?

 

[lepearso]

I'm intrigued by the idea of extending the Carbondale train to Memphis. Is the Tennessee government interested in this? Or is it just wishful thinking?

That's a very good question, and the answer would be "yes and no". Political interests in Tennessee are split among the three grand divisions. So, if you put forth an idea that benefits only West Tennessee - say a train extension from Carbondale to Memphis - the Middle and East constituencies would say "what's in it for us?". Then, when the item goes to the floor for a vote, everyone in the West Tennessee delegation will vote for it, and everyone in the Middle and East delegations will vote against it.

So, to make more people happy, you have to put forth an idea that benefits at least two of the grand divisions, and that's an incredible feat when you're talking about train service.

 

[seern]

This is wishful thinking, but to get hte middle division, turn the train east at Memphis and take it to Nashville.