GALESBURG, Ill. — Amtrak passenger trains in Illinois are resuming full service starting Monday, July 19th. That includes the route that goes back and forth between Quincy and Chicago with a stop in Galesburg.
For years, the rails running through Galesburg from Quincy to Chicago have provided a connection.
"There's something special about taking the train," said Cathy Anderson.
Anderson has never been on an Amtrak train before. But, it's these rails and this train that is providing the connection for Anderson and her family as they embark on a summer family vacation.
Anderson and her parents are taking the Amtrak train from Galesburg to Chicago, before hopping on a different train to head out West.
"We're taking the train, Empire Builder, all the way from Chicago to Glacier National Park in Montana," said Anderson.
Monday was a first for the Amtrak line, too, as normal, twice-daily service through Galesburg resumed for the first time in almost exactly 16 months. Service was reduced from two round trips to one each day during the pandemic.
According to an Illinois Department of Transportation spokesperson, the department and Amtrak had seen increasing passenger numbers during 2021, making now the right time to resume a normal schedule.
"Last year during COVID, my sister took a train to a trip they had been planning because they were too hesitant to fly," said Anderson. "And they loved it so much they encouraged us all to do it."
Along the rails, there is more than the destination.
"It's a basic building block for successful community," said Ken Springer, the president of the Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development.
Springer said the normal route schedule, two round-trips each day, benefits the community just as it does the passengers.
"Amtrak offers our residents the ability to enjoy the amenities of a big city like Chicago but still live in a community like Galesburg that's a little bit quieter with a better cost of living, better schools, that sort of thing," said Springer.
"It's kinda cool to be like that old-fashioned person taking the train to a special destination."
So as a few dozen riders climbed aboard destined for the Windy City, the full service schedule along these rails is keeping everyone on track.
The Chicago to Quincy route is not the only one resuming full service on Monday.
Two other routes serving Chicago are resuming full service as well. Those destinations include Saint Louis and Carbondale.
Masks are still required on Amtrak trains and inside Amtrak stations, according to an Illinois Department of Transportation spokesperson.