Railfanning the L in Chicago

Amtrak is reimagining the Concourse at Chicago Union Station and wants ideas from the traveling public, other station users, and area residents. Improvements to the boarding process, modernized amenities and new services are among the changes to be designed.

The remnants of Hurricane Ike have been dumping heavy rains on the states of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Missouri. The resulting temporary closure of various railroad routes is leading to the cancellation of some Amtrak service, with other Amtrak trains operating subject to significant delays. Amtrak is working with the owners of the routes to restore normal service as soon as possible. Passengers with travel plans in these states are urged to call Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL to confirm the operation of their trains and the status of alternate transportation. Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle, Chicago-Springfield-St. Louis Trains 303, 304, 305,

WASHINGTON — Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have received a $502,462 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to create new three-dimensional software to model and simulate the forces involved in train derailments. The grant will expand on work conducted for the Systematic Analysis of Multibody Systems/Rail project, underway since 1999.