We’ve officially entered the future of train travel.
As part of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s High-Speed Rail Project, an Amtrak train going between Chicago and St. Louis will now travel at 110 MPH.
Unveiling a new schedule at the start of the week, these new high-speed trails cut travel time down by half an hour. They run at speeds of 110 miles per hour, for a more efficient route.
Travel time from Chicago to Bloomington will now be less than 2 hours, while Chicago to Springfield goes to less than 3 hours, and Chicago to St. Louis moved to under 5 hours.
The new project also includes a series of safety upgrades after it was recently reported that they’ll be updating 40-year-old cars, buying new locomotives sure to set the bar high.
Upgrades were quite expensive, at over $1 billion, these upgrades include costs associated with a new track, better signal systems, and a series of extending passing tracks. New stations, and restoring the Lincoln Stop also contributed to the overall cost.
Similar updates can be seen with the CTA’s plan to replace 100+ old ‘L’ train cars in the city, along with the Red and Purple line upgrades
Upgraded amenities, like free Wi-Fi, are also staples on the new train. The new faster train called the Lincoln Service, is already making the 284-mile trip and is in part a plan to increase the speed of travel. This overall regional plan aims to provide faster, speedier service for Amtrak riders.
In another historic moment, this makes Chicago the only state in which all 7 of the largest railroads operate in the U.S. Check out Amtrack’s schedule here and all Lincoln Service info here.