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Madigan could have approved funding for the Quinn announced Amtrak routes at any time during Rauner's tenure. He didn't. ILL has a spending problem and a liability problem. Those issues have to be addressed before anything Jumbo campaigned on can be fulfilled, and he's already promised money to edu...

Why would Madigan oppose rail improvements? Illinois runs a lot of state-subsidized trains. He obviously hasn't opposed them in the past. Rauner tried to blame all the state's problems on Madigan (who has way too much power and needs to retire), but Rauner's "my way or the highway" approac...

Now that the voters of Illinois have kicked out Bruce Rauner, perhaps the Rockford train proposals will be revived. Hopefully, new governor J.B. Pritzker will get IDOT to complete the Chicago-St. Louis high speed project.

So he's a libertarian/conservative economist, not a train lover.

Right, the axle count is a stupid requirement of CN --- and now apparently UP on its St. Lou-KC route. Shouldn't the FRA or NTSB investigate the apparently unsafe operating conditions that require such restrictions?

If Randall O'Toole "loves passenger trains," how come he's opposed every passenger train effort -- from transit to LD -- ever presented in the past 30 years or so? Strange sort of love.

There's no reason to believe Amtrak will be leaving Dallas Union Station. The linkup between Texas Central and Amtrak involves through ticketing, not an actual physical connection.

CN requires Amtrak to run a certain number of cars on trains in order to ensure that crossing gates work properly, so the Illini and Saluki are filled out with various cars. CN, unlike every other railroad in North America, seems incapable of operating its crossing gates with shorter trains. I assum...

Regarding the Railway Age photo of the Brightline first class food offerings, is this being offered on the train, or in the first class lounges at the stations? It seems to be a buffet, which might be hard to navigate on a moving train. The offerings seem to be snacks, with some wine or champagne on...

Just shows you what a change in management can do.

You might get some fans to see off the team on their way to the World Series, but I doubt if anyone would show for a regular season road trip. So, yeah, maybe two or three times if a team makes it to the World Series. I don't see people lining the tracks or cramming onto the platforms at stations al...

I'm not an attorney, so I don't know of any reason why Metra couldn't contract with Winnebago and Boone counties to operate the service. There's no other place that Metra operates outside the six county area except for Kenosha, WI. I've always wondered about the Kenosha service. I know originally C&...

I see no reason for Amtrak to have two stations in New York City. They moved out of GCT in order to consolidate services many years ago Those reason haven't changed.

Winnebago County is not part of the Northeast Illinois RTA so the county would have to be annexed to the RTA and the subsequent taxes imposed.That might be a harder sell than a state-supported train.

Almost every private corporation and many public institutions sponsor some sort of public service programs. CP, for instance, runs Holiday Trains in both the U.S. and Canada that help collect money and food for food depositories along the CP. Even CSX runs the annual Santa train to provide good will...