boratwanksta
Service Attendant
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2006
- Messages
- 114
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.
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.