Amtrak has announced that it has resumed full service operations as of July 19. | Facebook
Amtrak has announced that it has resumed full service operations as of July 19. | Facebook
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) recently announced that Amtrak trains will resume full operations.
The full service is back for Amtrak following a long period of waiting for treatments for COVID-19, ABC reported.
Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder said that Amtrak's return would help boost the economy and facilitate tourism across the state.
“The more you have accessibility, the better off you'll be,” Langfelder told ABC. “But for myself, I’m a Cub fan. I’ve gone and taken the train up to Chicago. So that’s always a nice way to go there and enjoy the venue as you move along the track.”
Amtrak officials said this was the right time to bring services back, with vaccines widely available and fewer people contracting the virus than there were last year.
Full service began July 19 with the following services restored, according to a Facebook post by Sen. Terri Bryant:
- Lincoln Service, between Chicago and St. Louis, with intermediate stops such as Normal and Springfield.
- Carl Sandburg/Illinois Zephyr, between Chicago and Quincy, with intermediate stops such as Macomb.
- Illini/Saluki Line, between Chicago and Carbondale, with intermediate stops such as Champaign.
“We’re not back to normal when it comes to riding the train itself,” Magliari told ABC. “But we’re back to normal in offering the kind of regular service that people want.”
At the onset of the pandemic, IDOT reduced train services by half. However, there are now five daily round trips between Chicago and St. Louis with stops in Normal and Springfield.
Amtrak officials and local leaders told ABC that they hope this is a sign of more things returning to normal.
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