Chicago-St. Louis Route Rebuilding Nearly Complete

The Illinois Department of Transportation says that rebuilding of the Chicago-St. Louis corridor is substantially complete.

“The remaining work primarily [is] focused on the installation of fencing in Springfield and at the southern end of the corridor; crossing improvements in Springfield; and the completion of the Kankakee River Bridge in Wilmington,” said Guy Tridgell, an IDOT director of communications based in Chicago.

Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said the current top speed of the Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains on the route is still 79 p.m. although that is expected to increase to 90 mph by the end of the year.

“We had a section of 110 mph but it was not meant to be permanent,” he said referring to a stretch between Pontiac and Dwight. “The system is being installed, not just to be faster, but more reliable.”

Tags: Amtrak in Springfield Illinois, Amtrak Midwest Corridor trains, Amtrak's Lincoln Service, Amtrak's Texas Eagle, Chicago-St. Louis Corridor, Illinois Department of Transportation, Lincoln Service, Marc Magliari, Midwest Corridor trains, Springfield Illinois