IDOT Agrees to Maintain Existing Amtrak Service

Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation say they have reached an agreement to maintain existing service on state-supported routes while reducing costs.

The deal announced Friday will maintain service through the end of the fiscal year on June 30 at a cost of $38.3 million to the state. The department paid $42 million the previous fiscal year.

According to the department and Amtrak, the state used credits for previous equipment upgrades it paid for to negotiate a lower cost.

The state supports four daily round trips between Chicago and St. Louis plus two between Chicago and Quincy and two between Chicago and Carbondale.