Amtrak Midwest

Amtrak Midwest is a brand name applied by Amtrak to its state-supported routes in the Midwest states of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Missouri.[1] As of 2023, Amtrak Midwest consists of ten named trains:

Amtrak Midwest
Amtrak Midwest-branded Lincoln Service train at Springfield Union Station in 2019
Amtrak Midwest-branded Lincoln Service train at Springfield Union Station in 2019
Overview
LocaleMidwestern United States
Transit typeInter-city rail
Number of lines9
WebsiteAmtrak Midwest
Operation
Operator(s)Amtrak
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The routes generally form a hub-and-spoke network around Chicago Union Station, with all trains terminating there except for one Missouri River Runner round trip.

An eleventh route, the Great River between Chicago and St. Paul, is expected to start in 2023 and will add Minnesota to the Amtrak Midwest network. Other routes in development include the Quad Cities and Northern Lights Express.

Operations

Services

As of May 2023, Amtrak Midwest consists of ten named trains operating in nine service patterns. The Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg share identical routes, as do the Illini and Saluki. The Lincoln Service and Missouri River Runner operate separately except for one daily round trip (trains 318 and 319) in which they are combined.[2] There are 22 Amtrak Midwest round trips each weekday, with the Hiawatha Service running slightly different frequencies on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.[3]

Route Terminus Via Terminus Weekday round trips Supporting states
WI IL MI MO
Hiawatha Service Milwaukee Glenview Chicago 7 ●●
Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg Quincy Galesburg 2 ●
Illini and Saluki Carbondale Champaign–Urbana 2 ●
Wolverine Pontiac Detroit 3 ●
Blue Water Port Huron Flint 1 ●
Pere Marquette Grand Rapids Holland 1 ●
Lincoln Service St. Louis Springfield 3 ●
Lincoln Service / Missouri River Runner Kansas City St. Louis 1 ●●
Missouri River Runner Kansas City Jefferson City St. Louis 1 ●
Total 22

Indiana is not part of Amtrak Midwest as the state does not sponsor any Amtrak routes, although two Wolverine trips stop at Hammond–Whiting station. Indiana discontinued its only state-supported train, the Hoosier State, in 2019.

State-supported service in the Midwest is supplemented by a number of long-distance Amtrak routes, such as the California Zephyr and City of New Orleans. These are federally-funded, have separate equipment, and do not fall under the Amtrak Midwest brand.

Equipment

Amtrak Midwest routes generally share a pool of rolling stock, though certain equipment is exclusive to certain routes. In 2017, 33 Siemens Charger locomotives were delivered for Amtrak Midwest.[4] Siemens Venture coaches debuted in 2022, and will continue to be deployed in the coming years.[5][6]

History

The Amtrak Midwest logo and brand were unveiled in 2017 alongside the debut of Siemens Charger locomotives on the Hiawatha Service.[7]

Partial restoration of Amtrak's Black Hawk between Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, was funded in 2019 and would have been part of the Amtrak Midwest network.[8] In 2023, Metra was chosen as the operator instead of Amtrak. Metra service is expected to start in 2027.[9] Restoration of the full Black Hawk beyond Rockford to Dubuque, Iowa, has yet to be determined.

Future

Planned and proposed services

Amtrak Midwest is slated for expansion in the coming years, with several new routes in various stages of development.

Route Terminus Via Terminus Weekday round trips Status
Great River Saint Paul Milwaukee Chicago 1 Fully funded and expected to start in 2023. Will supplement the Empire Builder.
Quad Cities Iowa City Moline 2[10] Service as far as Moline is funded and expected to start in 2024.
Prairie Marksman successor Peoria Joliet 5 Feasibility study complete. Unfunded, name undetermined.[11][12]
Hiawatha Service extension Green Bay Milwaukee 3[13] Unfunded
Varsity successor Madison Milwaukee 4[14] Unfunded
Twin Cities 400 successor Saint Paul Eau Claire 2[15] Unfunded
Kentucky Cardinal Louisville Indianapolis 4[16] Unfunded
Cardinal supplement Cincinnati Indianapolis 4[16] Unfunded
Northern Lights Express Minneapolis Superior Duluth 4 Local funding met, awaiting federal funding.
Alexandrian successor Fargo St. Cloud Saint Paul 1 Feasibility study is funded. Would supplement the Empire Builder.[17]
Total 30

See also

References
  1. "Book Midwest Train Travel". www.amtrak.com. Amtrak. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  2. "Illinois Services & Missouri River Runner Timetable" (PDF). Rail Passengers Association. 4 March 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  3. "Hiawatha Timetable" (PDF). Rail Passengers Association. 4 March 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  4. "Amtrak unveils Siemens Midwest Charger". Railway Age. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  5. Johnston, Bob (8 February 2022). "First look: Siemens Venture coaches debut for Amtrak (updated)". Trains. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  6. Corselli, Andrew (28 August 2019). "Two Grants Aim to Improve Amtrak Midwest Network". Railway Age. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  7. Magliari, Marc (28 August 2017). "New Locomotives Serving Amtrak Customers on State-sponsored Trains in the Midwest". media.amtrak.com. Amtrak. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  8. "Chicago-Rockford". Amtrak Connects US. Amtrak. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  9. Ingalls, William (July 6, 2023). "Metra chosen as passenger rail service provider from Rockford/Belvidere to Chicago". wrex.com. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  10. "Chicago-Moline-Iowa City". Amtrak Connects US. Amtrak. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  11. Shelley, Tim (21 July 2022). "A Peoria-to-Chicago passenger rail route could cost upwards of $2.5 billion. Here's why leaders are optimistic it'll happen". WCBU Peoria. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  12. Patrick Engineering, Inc. (July 2022). "Peoria–Chicago Passenger Rail Feasibility Study" (PDF). City of Peoria. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  13. "Chicago-Milwaukee-Green Bay". Amtrak Connects US. Amtrak. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  14. "Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison". Amtrak Connects US. Amtrak. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  15. "Twin Cities – Milwaukee – Chicago". Amtrak Connects US. Amtrak. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  16. "Chicago-Indianapolis-Cincinnati and Louisville". Amtrak Connects US. Amtrak. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  17. Teigen, Danielle A.; Porter, Barbie (7 June 2023). "Commuter train from Fargo to St. Paul would include additional stops in Detroit Lakes, Staples". Detroit Lakes Tribune. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
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