The implementation of new high-speed rail technologies, which will allow Amtrak trains to reach speeds of up to 110 miles per hour, has enabled the Illinois Department of Transportation to put new schedules in place on the company’s Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle lines.
According to a press release, the new schedules will take effect on June 26, saving passengers time during their trips from Chicago to St. Louis.
“The railway has always been a vital component of our state’s infrastructure, but today we are taking a major step in modernizing rail services,” Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin said in a statement. “The new high-speed schedule will allow Illinoisans to get around faster while still enjoying the comforts of Amtrak.”
According to a press release, those maximum speeds will be in effect through most of the corridor between Chicago and St. Louis, with top speeds largely being reached between stations in Joliet and Alton.
The project, which carried a price tag of nearly $2 billion, was completed in 2018, but has undergone several years of test runs, according to officials.
The previous speed limit had been 90 miles per hour, according to the company.
The changes are part of a special High Speed Rail Project, which led to the installation of traffic and train control systems. Additional warning signs and some fencing were also installed near the impacted railway, which is owned by Union Pacific Railroad.
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More information can be found on the company’s website.
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