Amtrak has final federal approval for train speeds of 110 miles per hour between Joliet and Alton, culminating almost ten years of planning and investing.
Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) have received federal approval for maximum speeds up to 110 mph for most of the Chicago-St. Louis corridor, primarily between the Amtrak stations in Joliet and Alton, according to an Amtrak press release published on May 3. The new top speeds of trains on Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains would finally achieve a goal first identified on Planetizen in 2014.
“Until now, 90 mph has been the maximum authorized speed on the tracks owned by Union Pacific Railroad. Amtrak operates Lincoln Service and other trains under a contract with IDOT,” according to the press release.
Additional news coverage of the new top speeds on the route is available in an article by Joey Schneider for Fox 2 Now.
“Amtrak is hopeful the change will reduce times for its Lincoln Service round-trips, which also stop in Quincy and Carbondale, and the Texas Eagle, which runs from Chicago to Dallas with a St. Louis stop,” explains Schneider.
More reading from frequently delayed development of high-speed rail on the Chicago-St. Louis Corridor can be found in the Planetizen archive:
- $102 Million Brings Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail a Step Closer (September 2014)
- Faster Chicago to St. Louis Trains Likely to Increase Car Traffic (July 2016)
- Chicago to St. Louis Amtrak Still Not Up to Speed (January 2019)
- Higher Speeds from St. Louis to Chicago Delayed Again for Amtrak (September 2019)
- Amtrak Hits New Top Speeds Between St. Louis and Chicago (December 2021)
FULL STORY: 110 mph Schedules Coming for Amtrak Chicago-St. Louis Corridor
Higher Speeds from St. Louis to Chicago Delayed Again for Amtrak
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Chicago to St. Louis Amtrak Still Not Up to Speed
The higher speed train route between the two cities, funded by the recession-era stimulus package, is capable of 90 to 110 mph, but is stuck at 78.
Amtrak Hits New Top Speeds Between St. Louis and Chicago
A project that won funding from federal stimulus programs during the Obama administration is finally paying off on the Amtrak route between Chicago and St. Louis.
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