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The Illinois Service is funded primarily by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and falls under the broader Amtrak Midwest brand. Chicago is a terminus for all three Illinois Service routes, which all have multiple daily round trips: Chicago–Quincy: two round trips daily, the Illinois Zephyr and the Carl Sandburg [1]
Amtrak Midwest is a brand name applied by Amtrak to its state-supported routes in the Midwest states of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri. [1] As of May 2024, Amtrak Midwest consists of eleven named trains: Borealis; Hiawatha; Illinois Service: Lincoln Service, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, and Illini and Saluki
This listing includes current and discontinued routes operated by Amtrak since May 1, 1971. Some intercity trains were also operated after 1971 by the Alaska Railroad, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, Georgia Railroad, Reading Company, and Southern Railway.
Amtrak's long-distance routes form the backbone of the US national rail network, providing an alternative to intercity drives or flights. They are also noted for their scenery, and are popular as vacations and experiential travel. [4] A few routes provide direct service to National Parks, [note 1] with Amtrak Thruway buses reaching many more. [5]
The Illinois Zephyr is the longest continuously operated state-sponsored train, having started in November 1971. [3]: 241 The Carl Sandburg was added as the route's second daily round trip in 2006. During fiscal year 2023, the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg carried a combined 114,521 passengers, a 14.7% decrease over fiscal year 2022. [4]
The Illini and Saluki are a pair of passenger trains operated by Amtrak along a 310-mile (500 km) route between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois. They are part of Amtrak's Illinois Service and are primarily funded by the state of Illinois. The service provides two daily roundtrips, Saluki being the morning trains and Illini the afternoon trains.
The Blue Water (previously the Blue Water Limited) is a higher-speed passenger train service operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services.The 319-mile (513 km) route runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Port Huron in Michigan's Blue Water Area, for which the train is named.
The project is being led by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) funded with $275 million through the Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The route is expected to begin by late 2027, reinstating rail service to Rockford for the first time in over 40 years after the discontinuation of Amtrak's Black Hawk in 1981. [2]