(Source: The Southern, October 23, 2014)
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Many times over the years, Amtrak has struggled. As cars became a way of life and air travel grew in popularity, fewer people rode on the passenger trains. Many train stations in Southern Illinois stopped offering services and closed. But, Amtrak and its passenger train have survived. Ridership numbers from fiscal year 2013 showed that 340,741 passengers traveled that Carbondale-Chicago corridor, up 4.8 percent from the previous year. Ticket revenue was more than $9.5 million for 2013, up 3.3 percent from 2012.
Full story: The Southern