Passenger Trains > Texas Eagle Detours Over ex-C&EI Route CHI-STL

UP is doing track work on the ex-GM&O between Chicago and St. Louis; therefore, Amtrak will be detouring the TEXAS EAGLE (trains 21/421 and 22/422) on the ex-C&EI (Villa Grove and Pana Subdivisions) on May 17-21.

Dates shown above are dates from Chicago and St. Louis.

Information gathered elsewhere on the Internet. Information subject to change. Contributor will be held harmless for any information dispensed herein that does not prove to be 100 percent accurate.

six years
On May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, a golden spike was hammered into the final tie. The transcontinental railroad was built in six years almost entirely by hand. Workers drove spikes into mountains, filled the holes with black powder, and blasted through the rock inch by inch.


Let's see, 149 years later, it has taken how long to get this far on the "High-Speed" Chicago to St. Louis project? What a joke.

irhoghead Wrote:
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> six years
> On May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, a golden spike was hammered into the final tie. The
> transcontinental railroad was built in six years almost entirely by hand. Workers drove spikes into
> mountains, filled the holes with black powder, and blasted through the rock inch by inch.
> >
> Let's see, 149 years later, it has taken how long to get this far on the "High-Speed" Chicago to St.
> Louis project? What a joke.

But look at all of the pretty new stations and miles, and miles, and miles of black iron fencing :) Plus Union Pacific has probably tripled the amount of freight traffic now using the ex GMO thanks to the pretty new track and new sidings.

I agree, it has been a total joke and a boondoggle. Lets call it what it is, a government funded jobs program to pay contractors and funnel money to the contracting companies. I cringe every time I drive by the new Normal station at night and see amount of electricity being used to light the new south platform and remodeled south station which are both totally not needed.