CHICAGO – Improvements supporting future high-speed rail on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor north of Springfield will continue to cause the daily Amtrak Lincoln Service trains to originate and terminate in Bloomington/Normal between Dec. 16 to Dec. 23.
This work on the Chicago-St. Louis route will also cause the Chicago-San Antonio Amtrak Texas Eagle to detour without other scheduled stops between Chicago and St. Louis.
Alternate transportation will be provided in most cases (please see the attached Passenger Service Notice). This updates a previous announcement, adds a work period from the 16th to the 22nd while weather conditions permit and is subject to further changes.
The northbound departures of the chartered motorcoaches and vans from St. Louis, Alton, Springfield and Lincoln are scheduled one hour ahead of the regular Lincoln Service train schedules in order for the northbound trains to leave on-time from Bloomington/Normal.
Despite these alternate transportation substitutions, ridership on the corridor has continued to be strong. During October and November, 97,407 passengers rode Lincoln Service trains, an increase of almost 14 percent from the same months in 2009.
The Chicago to St. Louis high-speed rail corridor is the first high-speed rail project in the country to begin construction. Under an initial agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation (Illinois DOT), Union Pacific Railroad is installing new concrete ties and track switches along the corridor.
