Join the discussion on the following article:
Trains News Wire EXCLUSIVE: ‘Lincoln Service’ route trackwork forces bus substitution
Why is it always a CF?
The track work is indeed all on the IL side of the STL metro area (Metro East as it is known). WR, near Niedringhaus Ave in Granite City, is the former site of the GM&O’s WR Tower where TRRA connects with NS, KCS, and UP. IL 203 parallels the NS double track line and the paired KCS-UP track line from north Granite City to Lenox. Lenox is located in Mitchell where, when I left in 2007, the tower controlled the interlocking of the Alton & Southern, NS, UP, and KCS lines. Back 50 years ago, the lines would be A&S, Wabash, C&EI, NYC via trackage rights on C&EI, GM&O, and Burlington via trackage rights on GM&O. (Also in Mitchell is the intersection of Route 66 and Big Four Ave.) Wann is about a mile north of Wood River and three miles south of Alton.
Good question Britt.
On a positive note getting to see Amtrak on the old C&EI would be pretty neat.
Where is this exactly…right outside of St. Louis on the IL side? How many miles of KCS trackage are being upgraded, and once the upgrade is complete will this allow 79 mph running for both NB and SB trains?
I think the C&EI had trackage rights on the NYC. This is about the fifth or sixth time for the reroute. It is popular with private cars for rare mileage.
Bruce is correct; NYC (CCC&StL, the “Big Four”, hence Big Four Ave.) owned the line and had a small yard in Mitchell. C&EI had trackage rights over the NYC from Pana, IL, to St Louis. MP bought the ex-NYC line from the PC estate in 1982. Thanks Bruce.
Update: The Lincoln Service trains will continue to be served by buses south of Springfield during the KCS track outage over the next several weeks as described above, but Amtrak says now that the Texas Eagle will NOT detour and continue on its regular route in both directions “subject to delay.” This is possible because trains can run on track warrants northbound on the UP track signaled only for southbound movement and means passengers can buy an “all rail” ticket on the Eagle, but most likely only in the highest “bucket” if there is availability at all. That top Chicago-St. Louis fare is $70, while the bus connection “saver fare” between the two points is $27
I rode the reroute one of the first times they did it, a couple years ago. (I had to go to the next stop beyond STL to get to ride the Eagle instead of the Lincoln Service bus.) Made for a nice weekend trip in the spring.
I can say is it’s about time…
I just called Amtrak and they said the Texas Eagle will continue its regular route, but some of the Illinois Service 300 trains are cancelled or on shortened routes.
I just called Amtrak and they said the Texas Eagle will continue its regular route, but some of the Illinois Service 300 trains are cancelled or on shortened routes.