Amtrak to begin running 110 mph trains from Chicago to St. Louis
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Amtrak trains will get travelers from Chicago to St. Louis faster as new higher speed schedules go into effect on Monday.
Trains can reach a maximum speed of 110 miles per hour on the corridor. It used to be 90 miles per hour.
The Lincoln Service line also makes stops in Bloomington-Normal and Springfield.
Thanks to a $2 billion investment to update tracks and stations, it will now take less than five hours to get from Chicago to St. Louis by train. That's about 15 minutes faster than before.
"By upgrading to higher speed service on Illinois' largest passenger rail line, we are solidifying our status as the transportation hub of North America," Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday morning as he and other state and local leaders celebrated the new higher speed Amtrak service.
In addition to higher speeds on the Lincoln Service line, the $2 billion improvement project included safety upgrades at 212 crossings; new stations in Dwight, Pontiac, Carlinville, and Alton; a renovated station in Lincoln; improvements at stations in Normal and Springfield; and a new multimodal station in Joliet.