(The Associated Press circulated the following on August 9, 2010.)
CHICAGO — Amtrak says ridership on its rail line between Chicago and St. Louis is up 11 percent over the last fiscal year.
Amtrak says that from October 2009 through July, more than a half-million passengers have taken the route.
The Chicago-St. Louis route is one of the rail line’s most popular, and ridership has been steadily increasing.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has received $1.1 billion in federal stimulus money for high-speed trains on the route.
Trains will be able to travel up to 110 mph.
The improvements will help reduce the travel times between the two cities by 90 minutes and increase the number of daily round trips from five to nine.