Illinois

CHICAGO — Frequent users of Amtrak trains to and from Chicago can save money by buying tickets using special “Transit Checks” issued by their employers through the Chicago-based Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). Effective today, Amtrak will accept the checks that list Amtrak among the area transportation providers. Amtrak accepts RTA Transit Checks for the purchase of multi-ride tickets that are perfect for long-distance commuters and others who make regular trips in Illinois. They are also usable for other routes, with many available connections through Amtrak Chicago Union Station. “Although Amtrak does not currently receive funding from the Chicago RTA, we

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.

CSX Transportation (CSXT), the rail unit of CSX Corporation, has begun horn-free operations in a “quiet zone” on a four-mile stretch of its tracks extending through Blue Island, Evergreen Park and Chicago.