Amtrak Ridership Up in Illinois

Springfield, IL – While the Bush administration wants to virtually eliminate funding for Amtrak, the passenger rail service continues to be popular in Illinois. Amtrak says all four of the state-sponsored trains posted record levels of ridership during the fiscal year that ended June 30. Those trains include the Illinois Zephyr, which connects Chicago with western Illinois cities such as Macomb, Quincy and Galesburg. The Illinois Zephyr had 113,086 riders, which was an increase of 7.6%. Illinois Department of Transportation Director Tim Martin says the figures show passenger rail is an integral part of the state's transportation system.