ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - A new high-speed route is expected to be operational between St. Louis and Chicago within the next 12-18 months, according to Amtrak. The updates will allow trains to travel up to 110 mph on the route and cut travel time by nearly an hour.
Amtrak announced the a schedule change for Chicago to St. Louis Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains, effective today. It allows some trains to travel at a maximum speed of 90 mph and reduces Chicago to St. Louis corridor travel times by approximately 15 minutes, end-to-end.
It's a step towards 110-mph trains along the route, which could open sometime in late 2022 or early 2023, Amtrak says.
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The Chicago and St. Louis corridor currently takes 5 hours and 40 minutes each way. Only a 12-mile portion of the Chicago-St. Louis route can currently sustain speeds of up to 110 mph. The rest of the route has a max speed of 90 mph.
Amtrak received its most significant expansion in history thanks to the new $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed earlier this year. The funding, which in total comes out to $66 billion, will now allow the railroad company to start repair and replacement projects across the nation’s passenger rail network.
Cities that are not currently on Amtrak routes but soon could be, include Las Vegas and Nashville, but states will compete for the funding to add them to the map.
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