Passenger Trains > Illinois High Speed Rail Starts Tomorrow!

Effective 0001 Nov. 22, 2012

Lincoln Service trains 300, 301, 302, 304, 305 and 307 will begin operating at 110mph.

Trains 21, 22, 303 and 306 will continue to operate at 79mph.

Posted from iPhone

Looks like a ten minute improvement in trip time to St Louis. That's a nice start.

From the status board, it looks like some trains have been arriving 10 minutes to 17 minutes early at STL over the past few days

Remember the entire line is not 110, just a couple sections.

Nothing has been done yet for any speed up between
Chicago and Joliet nor Alton-St Louis.

I don't see an amtrak announcement. Is there an updated map anywhere of what sections actually are 110?

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> Looks like a ten minute improvement in trip time
> to St Louis. That's a nice start.
>
> From the status board, it looks like some trains
> have been arriving 10 minutes to 17 minutes early
> at STL over the past few days


It's 110MPH from MP 75.0 to Mp 90.5. You can't make up 10 minutes in that small distance. If all the trains meet at their scheduled time in the timetable, then almost always they will arrive early into their final destination. The scheduled is padded.

9900 Wrote:
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> Trains 21, 22, 303 and 306 will continue to
> operate at 79mph.

Do you know the reason for these limitations?

Well for 21/22 its an equipment restriction. Superliners are only good for 100mph.

Other than that....all I've been told is that UP only agreed to six trains

Posted from iPhone

For all that money it only shaves 10 minutes off the trip? Wow, what a waste.

This is just the first of many upgrades, I assume (as dangerous as that may be...). You have to start somewhere.

JimBo

Jim Montague
IRVINE, CA
Train and Nature photo Art

Hey, it's only 20 miles right now. More will be added. I don't know what the status is on the signal upgrades on the other parts of the line. From what I read a year ago, that is what will spread the improvement between Joliet and Alton. Also I wonder if 303/306 might not be faced with an equipment shortage. Are enough properly equipped locomotives available to run four roundtrips daily at this point?

They still should allow 21 and 22 to run at 100 if possible, that's only 10 miles slower than what the speed limit is!