Illinois Amtrak Service

[Gilbert B Norman]

Even though my "class" at a posting above shows '70, my years at UI/UC were roundly 62-65. I needed a little "interlude" to (not every day by any means) have little lead projectiles sent my way by "colleagues" wearing Black pajamas.

When I returned to school during 1969, I had an auto ('68 VW lest some wonder) and IL 47 (I-57 was not complete Onarga-Rantoul) became my "Main Line of Mid-America".

Nevertheless, "back in my day", IC "student specials' were not known for their equipment; in fact I can recall a frat brother once saying to me "this looks like something out of Dr. Zhivago". For my own travels, I preferred to do with a few less suds at Kams in order to have $$$ to ride Parlor Car on the Panama and enjoy their French Toast while 'whizzing' Northward over an impecably maintained double tracked ROW.

In short, a Horizon looks like a "PV" when compared with student travel from my day, and is honestly little wonder why the point of departure became Wright & Green rather than Neil & University.

[mkellerm]

The new Chicago-Quincy trains have apparently been loaded into the reservation system:

Train No. Depart CHI Arrive QCY

381 8:00AM 12:15PM
383 5:55PM 10:10PM

Train No. Depart QCY Arrive CHI

380 6:12AM 10:30AM
382 5:30PM 9:48PM

No train names are attached at the moment. Also nothing new on Chicago-St. Louis.

[Rockingham Racer]

The new Chicago-Quincy trains have apparently been loaded into the reservation system:

Train No. Depart CHI Arrive QCY

381 8:00AM 12:15PM
383 5:55PM 10:10PM

Train No. Depart QCY Arrive CHI

380 6:12AM 10:30AM
382 5:30PM 9:48PM

No train names are attached at the moment. Also nothing new on Chicago-St. Louis.

If that's the case, how come they didn't keep these trains in the 340's I wonder?

[David Benton]

i wonder with the new frequencies if it will be possible to swap operating crews 1/2 way ( or when the trains meet ) and still be withing the 6 hour limit for engineers . that would allow savings of away payments , and allow crews to be home each nite .

[Gilbert B Norman]

The new Chicago-Quincy trains have apparently been loaded into the reservation system:

Train No. Depart CHI Arrive QCY

381 8:00AM 12:15PM
383 5:55PM 10:10PM

Train No. Depart QCY Arrive CHI

380 6:12AM 10:30AM
382 5:30PM 9:48PM

No train names are attached at the moment. Also nothing new on Chicago-St. Louis.

The name Carl Sandburg is now confirmed.

Bio

[Gilbert B Norman]

Will wonders never cease; it appears that the additional Chi-St Louis train will also start Oct 30:

http://www.lincolncourier.com/story.asp?SID=3250&SEC=8

I am quite surprised about the entire initiative; I thought once boy king had the election in the bag, the whole thing would be left at the wayside with a "service to begin on a date to be announced".

[mkellerm]

One market that could open up as a result of the new trains is Milwaukee to points south and southwest of Chicago. [ First train out to connect with the new morning trains to Carbondale and Quincy.]

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this is going to be the case for the Quincy train. Leaving funding aside for the moment (in part because I'm not convinced that the Illinois legislature knows whether it appropriated too much or not enough money for the current service expansion), are there any big obstacles to adding an extra round trip to the Hiawathas to connect to the new trains (and existing trains that leave/arrive at about the same time). In particular, there is going to be a small fleet of trains arriving after the current last train to MKE:

304 St. Louis 8:30PM
392 Carbondale 9:35PM
383 Quincy 9:48PM
355 Detroit 9:54PM

I would think that a 10:30PM or 11:00 departure would be fairly successful, both in terms of connecting passengers and (more importantly) for people heading back from a night on the town. I'm not so sure about an early morning train to connect in the other direction.

[JamesT4]

One market that could open up as a result of the new trains is Milwaukee to points south and southwest of Chicago. [ First train out to connect with the new morning trains to Carbondale and Quincy.]

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this is going to be the case for the Quincy train. Leaving funding aside for the moment (in part because I'm not convinced that the Illinois legislature knows whether it appropriated too much or not enough money for the current service expansion), are there any big obstacles to adding an extra round trip to the Hiawathas to connect to the new trains (and existing trains that leave/arrive at about the same time). In particular, there is going to be a small fleet of trains arriving after the current last train to MKE:

304 St. Louis 8:30PM
392 Carbondale 9:35PM
383 Quincy 9:48PM
355 Detroit 9:54PM

I would think that a 10:30PM or 11:00 departure would be fairly successful, both in terms of connecting passengers and (more importantly) for people heading back from a night on the town. I'm not so sure about an early morning train to connect in the other direction.

Amtrak can add one late night round trips(it is needed), using the current 2 trainsets it got now. The addition of an late night train not just depends on IDOT, it has to also consult the Wisconsin DOT, since WISDOT also help fund the chicago to milwaukee trains.

Also I was on the amtrak reservation system, and it shows the new round trip between Cardondale, and Chicago.

The chicago to champain schedule will look like this.

Carbondale to Chicago
Dep. Car.----Arr. CHI.
58- 3:16am---9:00am (City of New Orleans)
390 7:30am---1:00pm (New)
392 4:05pm---9:35 pm (Illini)

Chicago to Carbondale
Dep. Chi.----Arr. Car.
391 9:15 am---2:45 pm (New)
393 4:05 pm---9:35 pm (Illini)
59 8:00 pm---1:21 am (City of New Orleans)

[mkellerm]

The new St. Louis trains are now up on the Amtrak reservation system. Here are the new schedules:

Code: Select all

Numb   Dep CHI    Arr SPI     Arr STL

301     7:00AM    10:15AM     12:20PM
323     9:15AM    12:35PM      2:45PM  (Ann Rutledge)
21      2:00PM     5:29PM      7:35PM  (Texas Eagle)*
305     5:15PM     8:39PM     10:45PM  (State House)
307     7:00PM    10:24PM     12:30AM

Numb   Dep STL    Arr SPI    Arr CHI

300     4:35AM     6:33AM     9:55AM   (State House)
302     6:35AM     8:33AM    11:55AM
22      8:30AM    10:29AM     2:14PM   (Texas Eagle)
324     3:10PM     5:07PM     8:30PM   (Ann Rutledge)
306     5:30PM     7:28PM    10:50PM

*edited after press release

Again, no names as of yet for the new trains. Based on the last two, I'd expect a press release in the next day or two.

[David Benton]

wow , thats looking like you could call it A CORRIDOR SERVICE ,

[mkellerm]

It is certainly nice to see those kind of frequencies in the Midwest. I do wonder a bit about the big gap during the middle of the day, however. There is a 6:40 gap between 22 and 324 northbound and a 6:05 gap between 323 and 21 southbound. I wonder if this is purely by design, or if there are crewing/equipment constraints that led them to this schedule.

[gumby5647]

CHI-STL to be called "Lincoln Service"

Ann Rutledge will become Lincoln Service from STL to CHI and CHI to STL

[Rockingham Racer]

CHI-STL to be called "Lincoln Service"

Ann Rutledge will become Lincoln Service from STL to CHI and CHI to STL

Source, please.

[amusing erudition]

Source, please.

The Springfield State Journal-Register.

The Ann Rutledge will not become Lincoln Service according to this piece as its funding comes not from the state of Illinois but from the state of Missouri.

-asg

[Jersey_Mike]

Three cheers to Amtrak for branding its MI and IL corridor services. Talking about the individual trains were so cumbersome when I came to the midwest. It make it hard for someone to think of the service that could be used on a regular basis. Now people can say "I'll just catch a Lincoln Train" just like ppl in Harrisburg or Albany can rely on catching the next Keystone or Empire train.