Lincoln Service: Difference between revisions

| image = Amtrak126305rooseveltLincoln (3542716997)Service Outbound from Chicago.jpg

| caption = A ''Lincoln Service'' departstrain Chicagopassing inthrough May[[35th/Archer 2009.station]] Directlyin behindMcKinley isPark, the [[Willis Tower|Sears Tower]]Chicago, (nowJuly Willis)2023.

| predecessor = ''[[State House (train)|State House]],'' ''[[Loop (Amtrak train)|Loop]]''

| first = October 30, 2006

| journeytime = 54 hours, 1759 minutes<ref>{{cite web |title=Amtrak Timetable Results |url=https://www.amtrak.com/tickets/schedule-results.html |website=www.amtrak.com |access-date=13July December31, 20212023}}</ref><!-- Average the northbound and southbound times for the standalone Lincoln Service runs and the Chicago-St. Louis portions of the combined Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner runs -->

| frequency = Four daily round-trips dailytrips

| stock =[[Amfleet]]<br /> [[Horizon (railcar)|Horizon]]<br />[[Siemens Venture]]<br />[[Siemens Charger]]

| speed = Up to {{convert|90110|mph|kph}}<ref name="Amtrak Media Center">{{cite web|url=httphttps://wwwmedia.pantagraphamtrak.com/news2023/state05/110-andmph-regional/illinois/article_0f8ed1c6schedules-54d9coming-11e0for-9df0amtrak-001cc4c002e0.htmlchicago-st-louis-corridor/ |title=Second110 phasemph ofSchedules high-speedComing railfor expectedAmtrak to beginChicago-St. AprilLouis 5Corridor |access-date=MarchMay 243, 20112023 |date=MarchMay 223, 20112023 |publisher=BloomingtonAmtrak Pantagraph |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5xPVhgXOq?url=http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/article_0f8ed1c6-54d9-11e0-9df0-001cc4c002e0.html |archive-date=March 24, 2011 |url-status=deadMedia Center}}</ref>

| owners = [[CN Railway|CN]], [[Union Pacific Railroad|UP]], [[Norfolk Southern Railway|NS]], [[KCSCanadian RailwayPacific Kansas City|KCSCPKC]], [[Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis| TRRA]]

| map = {{Amtrak Lincoln Service}}switcher

The '''''Lincoln Service''''' is a {{convert|284|mile|adj=on}} [[higher-speed rail]] service operated by [[Amtrak]] that runs between [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] and [[St. Louis]], [[Missouri]]. The train is a part of the ''[[Illinois Service]]'' and is partially funded by the [[Illinois Department of Transportation]]. The train uses the same tracksroute as the long-distance ''[[Texas Eagle]]'', which continues to {{amtk|San Antonio}} and {{amtk|Los Angeles}}. A connection with the {{amtk|Kansas City}}-bound ''[[Missouri River Runner]]'' is available in St. Louis.

In July 2010, the state of Illinois and the [[Union Pacific Railroad]] reached an agreement under which track speeds between [[Dwight, Illinois|Dwight]] and [[Alton, Illinois|Alton]], Illinois were to be raised to as high as {{convert|110|mph|km/h|0}}.<ref>{{cite web|date=July 21, 2010|title=Union Pacific, Illinois strike agreement on fast trains|url=http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=7120&r=rss|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914170050/http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=7120&r=rss|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 14, 2012|access-date=December 8, 2021|publisher=Trains Magazine}}</ref> This speed will cut the travel time between Chicago and St. Louis by 90 minutes, bringing the trip to under four hours.<ref name=110mph/> The first track upgrade construction was planned to be between Alton and [[Lincoln, Illinois]] and was projected to cost $98 million. The construction on this stretch began on September 17, 2010, in Alton and was completed in 2011. Most of the funding came from $1.1 billion in stimulus money for Illinois high-speed rail from the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]]. The remainder of this grant, as well as $400 million in funding from the state of Illinois, was used to complete a high-speed rail corridor for the remaining portions of the St. Louis–Chicago track. Senator [[Dick Durbin]] suggested the Dwight–Alton upgrades would create some 900 jobs, while the overall project could generate 24,000.{{factcitation needed|date=November 2015}}

On March 22, 2011, an announcement was made in Chicago that an additional $685 million would be used to upgrade trackage and grade crossings between Dwight and Lincoln. Construction on the improvement project began on April 5, 2011.<ref name="Bloomington Pantagraph">{{cite web|url=http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/article_0f8ed1c6-54d9-11e0-9df0-001cc4c002e0.html |title=Second phase of high-speed rail expected to begin April 5 |access-date=March 24, 2011 |date=March 22, 2011 |publisher=Bloomington Pantagraph |archive-url=https://wwwweb.webcitationarchive.org/5xPVhgXOq?url=web/20171224101335/http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/article_0f8ed1c6-54d9-11e0-9df0-001cc4c002e0.html |archive-date=MarchDecember 24, 20112017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Upgrades included rebuilding the [[passing siding]]s so that the [[track spacing]] between the main track is increased from {{cvt|14|ft}} to {{cvt|20|ft}}.<ref name="Trains201702">{{cite magazine |issn=0041-0934 |magazine=[[Trains magazine]] |title=Choppy path to more speed: Work on Chicago-St. Louis 'Lincoln Service' route shows successes, challenges |id={{Gale|A474547827}} |first=Bob |last=Johnston |publication-date=February 2017 |volume=77 |number=2 |page=24}}</ref>

Although much of track upgrade work was completed between 2010 and 2012, there are additional constructions including second trackage, bridge replacement and rehabilitation, drainage improvements, and [[Four-quadrant gate|grade crossings]] and signal improvements before the full {{convert|110|mph|adj=on|0}} service can be fully operated on this route. After all required improvements on the first {{convert|15|mi|adj=on|0}} segment between Dwight and [[Pontiac, Illinois]] were completed, Amtrak started the [[higher-speed rail]] service with top speeds of {{convert|110|mph|0}} on that segment in November 2012, with the entire section between Alton and Joliet expected to have {{convert|110|mph|adj=on|0}} operation by 2017.<ref name="110mph">{{cite news|date=November 23, 2012|title=110 mph train service starts on part of Chicago-St. Louis route|newspaper=Crain's Chicago Business|agency=Associated Press|url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20121123/NEWS10/121129929/110-mph-train-service-starts-on-part-of-chicago-st-louis-route|url-access=subscription|access-date=December 8, 2021}}</ref><ref name="construction">{{cite web|title=Construction Location|url=http://www.idothsr.org/2010_const/location.aspx|url-status=live|access-date=December 8, 2021|website=Illinois High Speed Rail|publisher=Illinois Department of Transportation}}</ref>

==TrainOperation==

!2015<ref>{{cite web|date=November 15, 2015|title=Amtrak FY15 Ridership & Revenue|url=http://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/FY15Ridership_Revenue_Fact_Sheet_11-5-15.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=December 8, 2021|publisher=[[Amtrak]]}}</ref>

!2016<ref>{{cite web|date=April 17, 2017|title=Amtrak FY16 Ridership & Revenue|url=http://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Amtrak-FY16-Ridership-and-Revenue-Fact-Sheet-4_17_17-mm-edits.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=December 8, 2021|publisher=[[Amtrak]]}}</ref>

!2017<ref>{{cite web|date=November 16, 2017|title=Amtrak FY17 Ridership Fact Sheet|url=http://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/FY17-Ridership-Fact-Sheet-Final.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=December 8, 2021|publisher=[[Amtrak]]}}</ref>

!2018<ref>{{Cite web|title=Amtrak FY 2018 Ridership|url=https://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/FY18-Ridership-Fact-Sheet-1.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=December 8, 2021}}</ref>

!2019<ref>{{Cite web|title=Amtrak FY19 Ridership|url=http://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/FY19-Year-End-Ridership.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=December 8, 2021}}</ref>