Amtrak passenger service through Mendota and Princeton narrowly survived the latest round of federal budget-cutting by a GOP-led House of Representatives but the threat hasn’t been totally eliminated.
Early last month, a House subcommittee recommended cutting all federal dollars for Amtrak passenger service that receives funds from 15 states, including Illinois. The proposal hasn’t made it into the 2012 budget, but the mention has raised warning flags with Amtrak officials.
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Developer Stephen Tinsley, the team leader on the project, said the facility would provide short-time parking for Slammers fans, all-day parking for Metra commuters, and even long-term parking for travelers taking a train to the airport.
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On Saturday, September 24 at 10 a.m., Amtrak Board of Directors Chairman Tom Carper and Galesburg Mayor Sal Garza will open the Amtrak Exhibit Train, a unique traveling display showcasing memorabilia from the 40 years of Amtrak railroad history. The Exhibit Train is touring the country and is stopping at Galesburg this weekend for its only scheduled downstate Illinois visit.
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Springfield resident Mark Bell says he likes the new look at the Amtrakstation, especially the trackside benches and landscaping.
“This is perfect. On a day like this, you don’t have to feel stuck inside,” Bell said Friday, while waiting for a southbound train to St. Louis.
An estimated $680,000 overhaul of the Third Street station, the first major update in more than a decade for the 116-year-old structure, has been completed other than a few minor touches, according to railroad and city officials.
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Post Link: http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x524582316/Lot-improvements-key-upgrade-at-Amtrak-station?img=2
Believe it or not, there’s a 15-day pass and it’s good for anywhere Amtrak goes and it’s under $500. So, in one 15 day period, you can stop and see all you’re dysfunctional relatives. And if you want to take the kids, it’s half-price for children under 15.
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Post Link: http://www.petergreenberg.com/2011/09/16/travel-tip-amtrak-rail-passes/
Updating the current policy, Amtrak is establishing 13 as the minimum age of an unaccompanied minor allowed to travel on its trains.
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As the Wolverine leaves Chicago’s Union Station each afternoon, passengers aboard the Amtrak train to Detroit look out their windows at the urban maze of concrete and steel.
Once the train crosses the Indiana state line, though, skyscrapers soon are replaced with the natural beauty of the thick forests and flowing sands of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
Frank and Ruth Maxwell love highlighting that difference.
The Maxwells are among about 20 teams of volunteers who board the Wolverine in Chicago and ride to Niles, Mich., and back three times a week, explaining the biodiversity of the Indiana Dunes to passengers as part of the Trails and Rails program.
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MSNBC
Trains — they’re not just for retirees and railroad buffs anymore.
Thanks to changes in technology and demographics — not to mention the hassles of air travel — the nation’s railroads are drawing a whole new crowd.
That’s certainly true for Amtrak, which is on track to report its highest ridership in history. On Tuesday, the company announced that it carried almost 27.8 million passengers during the first 11 months of its fiscal year ending in September, up 5.2 percent from the year before.
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http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/09/7688398-amtrak-rolls-toward-record-ridership
President Barack Obama’s new jobs bill contains $4 billion for high-speed rail grants and $2 billion to repair and refurbish Amtrak’s assets in the Northeast Corridor.
Obama on Monday unveiled the specifics of his $447 billion plan, which also includes tax hikes that Republicans have already emphatically rejected.
“This is a bill that is based on ideas from both Democrats and Republicans,” Obama said at a White House ceremony. “And this is the bill that Congress needs to pass. No games. No politics. No delays.”
NewsVision for High-Speed Rail in America
Map:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGrRyXcGCgI/Tfon_fHqrxI/AAAAAAAAbF0/sp8DVZNhav0/s1600/1.png…
Read moreGovernor Quinn, Secretary LaHood and Senator Durbin Preview 110-MPH Rail Service in Illinois
110-mile per hour Rail Demonstration A Milestone For Midwest High-Speed Rail Network, Thousands of Jobs Created from Work
Read moreVIDEO: High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Program
Witnesses testified on the Obama administration’s high-speed rail program.
Read moreAmtrak Ridership Growth Continues in FY 2013
March sets record as single best month in history of railroad
Read moreU.S. High-Speed Rail Programs Already Creating Jobs, Economic Benefits
http://evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=29692
Take a Trip Out of the City on Amtrak’s Pere Marquette to Grand Rapids
Take the Amtrak Pere Marquette to Grand Rapids
http://chicagoist.com/2013/06/14/take_a_trip_out_of_the_city_on_amtr.php
If you’re looking for a good way …
Read moreIDOT Expected to Seek Proposals in mid-July to Build High-Speed Locomotives
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City, county seeking federal grant for rail underpass
http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x2034904509/City-county-seeking-federal-grant-for-rail-underpass#ixzz2VTJnUeaO
Springfield and Sangamon County officials have applied for a $14 million federal grant to build …
Read moreIL Lawmakers Pushing For Amtrak Expansion In Area
http://www.kwqc.com/story/22513832/il-lawmakers-pushing-for-amtrak-expansion-in-area
Read moreSPRINGFIELD – Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider, Springfield Mayor Michael J. Houston and Sangamon County …
Read moreResearchers say high-speed rail could fuel U.S. real-estate, economic booms
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=222234
New high-speed rail lines are credited with sparking a real estate and housing boom, among …
Read moreDear Illinois Amtrak Community:
You are invited to participate in the 2013 Annual Explore Illinois by …
Read moreAmtrak chief rallies rail faithful in Chicago
The head of Amtrak came to Chicago today to rally the rail faithful, and his …
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