Thee Southern "Business Journal," Carbondale, IL, 3/8:
Amtrak service could be cut 40 percent
Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposed state budget is calling for a 40 percent cut in funding for Amtrak, which could have significant impact on all of Southern Illinois.
Currently, the Amtrak station in Carbondale has three daily trains taking passengers to Chicago.
The 58 City of New Orleans leaves at 3:16 a.m., the 390 Saluki at 7:30 a.m., and 392 Illini at 4:15 p.m. They're the times SIU students, business leaders and residents have come to rely on.
According to The Associated Press, ridership on the Illini-Saluki line between Chicago and Carbondale has gone up 22 percent to about 316,000 riders in the past five years.
The governor’s budget proposed a drop in funding from $42 million to $26 million. The final amount of funding for the train service will not be decided until the Legislature approves the budget, but Amtrak officials say the budget would likely lead to service reductions.
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