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Amtrak ridership grows, as do delays

By Kurt Erickson, The Southern Springfield Bureau

Saturday, April 21, 2007 12:57 AM CDT

SPRINGFIELD - Expanded Amtrak service in Illinois has drawn record numbers of riders, but those same passengers have faced "unacceptable" delays, top Amtrak and state officials said Friday.

Trains running along the Chicago-St. Louis corridor have been late about half of the time, while passengers traveling between Chicago and Carbondale have seen their trains arrive late about 30 percent of the time.

"At some point, people are going to say, 'I can just drive faster,'" said state Rep. Sidney Mathias, R-Buffalo Grove.

"To say the least, we've had some growing pains," added state Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville.

The problems were detailed Friday in a legislative hearing aimed at assessing the success of Illinois' $24 million investment in expanded Amtrak service. Among those present was David Laney, a Texas attorney who is chairman of Amtrak's board of directors.

Laney called the delays "unacceptable by any measure."

Last October, using the added state funding, Amtrak doubled the number of state-sponsored trains on three Illinois routes. The move resulted in strong ridership gains. Along the Carbondale corridor, which also serves Eastern Illinois University and University of Illinois, ridership jumped 55 percent.

The Chicago-St. Louis route, which stops in Dwight, Pontiac, Normal, Lincoln and Springfield, saw a 40 percent boost in passengers. The line between Chicago and Quincy saw a 33 percent increase.

Those gains, however, could suffer if the delays aren't addressed, said Laney.

Among the worst on-time percentages comes from trains traveling north from St. Louis to Chicago. Most of the blame comes from Amtrak having to share its route with the freight railroads that own the tracks.

A number of improvements are underway at crossings and sidings, but it will cost up to $2 billion over the next decade to fully address some of the problems, said Laney, who was in Springfield to meet with lawmakers.

"We're working out the kinks," said Laney. "I think we've got a very bright future."

Laney, who was making his first visit to Springfield, was admonished for not visiting with lawmakers in the past.

"It's important to cultivate relationships," said state Rep. Will Davis, D-Hazel Crest.

kurt.erickson@lee.net

(217) 789-0865