Amtrak services between Chicago and Carbondale could be eliminated if a Canadian railroad company acquires one of its competitors, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Thursday.
Canadian National Railroad is awaiting the Surface Transportation Board's approval of its plan to buy the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway. If approved, the freight train operator would abandon 11 miles of the St. Charles Air Line Route, which is used by Amtrak Illinois to travel in and out of Union Station in Chicago, ultimately eliminating six daily passenger trains.
Marc Maguari, a spokesman for Amtrak, said negotiations with Canadian National to keep the route open until an alternative, abandoned track can be rebuilt are unfolding. He said the route, known as the Grand Crossing line, was ripped up, but bridges and track beds are still in place.
"It would actually be an improvement to what's in place now," Maguari said.
The route would save passengers a few minutes of travel time, he said, but financial concerns are what prevented Amtrak from moving forward with the project in the past. Maguari said he still does not know where Amtrak would allocate money to rebuild the track if the line was shut down.
According to a fact sheet provided by Ray Lang, director of Amtrak's government relations, nearly 97,000 people used the "Saluki Express", which connects Carbondale and Chicago, between Oct. 1, 2006 and Sept. 31, 2007.
Not having Amtrak service in Carbondale would have a dramatic impact on students commuting from upstate, SIU President Glenn Poshard said, and may even affect the university's enrollment without the convenient mode of transportation.
"I have seen Amtrak threatened, but I have never seen it stronger," said City Manager Jeff Doherty, who worked with the city's Railroad Relocation Unit during the 1970s.
Doherty said not having Amtrak would have an impact on the city's economy since people from upstate Illinois ride the train to Carbondale for a long weekend, or to visit students at SIUC.
Durbin said Canadian National's chief executive officer was not ready to negotiate the alternatives during a meeting in Washington, D.C.
"We have to understand that Amtrak does not own the railroad tracks," Durbin said.
Daily Egyptian writer Barton Lorimor can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 274 or barton.lorimor@siude.com.
