Chicago to St. Louis Amtrak suspended beginning October 17 through October 31

[October 10, 2015]  LINCOLN - No Amtrak trains will operate between Chicago and St. Louis from Oct. 17 through Oct. 31 in order to allow Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and its contractors to rebuild and expand six bridges and make other improvements on Illinois' high-speed rail route.

UP, the Illinois Department of Transportation and Amtrak worked together to schedule this work after the completion of Major League Baseball's National League Division Series games in Chicago and St. Louis.

Amtrak Lincoln Service trains will be represented by chartered buses.

Lincoln Service
Trains 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306 and 307 will be cancelled from October 17 through October 31. Bus service will be provided at every station for all trains except Train 300. Note: Buses may not operate at the same time as the respective trains. Contact Amtrak for bus schedules.

The Amtrak Texas Eagle will detour between Chicago and St. Louis on a route through eastern Illinois without any scheduled stops. Normally, work crews on the high-speed project coordinate their activities to minimize the impact to the 10 daily Amtrak trains on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor. This long- planned bridge blitz will allow for the fastest completion of this phase of scheduled work.

UP and its contractors have positioned materials, work trains and personnel to carry out these projects in a safe and efficient manner. As always, the public should still expect a UP train at any time and from any direction.

[Illinois Department of Transportation, High Speed Rail Project]