Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg

File:Kansas City Zephyr American Royal Zephyr.JPG

The initial train route between Quincy and Chicago first opened as a part of three independent railroads in 1855. The portion of track between Quincy and Galesburg was owned by the Northern Cross Railroad, led by Nehemiah Bushnell, and was completed in 1854. This connected with the Central Military Tract Road between Galesburg and Mendota, Illinois. At Mendota, it connected with the Chicago and Aurora Railroad to complete the route to Chicago.{{cite news |newspaper=The Quincy Whig |date=January 23, 1854 |title=Plank Road Meeting at Clayton |page=1 |url=https://quincypublicil.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?i=f&by=1854&bdd=1850&bm=1&bd=23&d=01231854-01231854&fn=quincy_weekly_whig_usa_illinois_quincy_18540123_english_1&df=1&dt=10}} These three railroads eventually merged into the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.

The Illinois Zephyr is a descendant of the Kansas City Zephyr and American Royal Zephyr passenger train routes operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad from 1953 until 1968 and 1971, respectively. The state of Illinois intervened in 1971 at the request of Quincy College (now Quincy University), Western Illinois University, and residents of western Illinois. This became part of the "Illinois Service" initiative in 1971 and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation.{{rp|242}} Service on the Illinois Zephyr began on November 14, 1971, between Chicago and West Quincy, Missouri. The name "Zephyr" is preserved in the current name of the line. Today the Illinois Zephyr enjoys strong support from the communities it passes through, and is one of the most successful Amtrak routes.{{cite web| url=http://www.bcrnews.com/articles/2007/02/24/news/doc45dfce3398f31004084636.prt| title=More climb aboard| author=Gray, Jessica| date=February 24, 2007| access-date=July 17, 2007| publisher=BCRNews.com}}{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Service to Plano began on April 30, 1972. Service to Quincy proper began on April 24, 1983, in response to the West Quincy station being frequently cut off by flooding. The suburban stop at Aurora, was discontinued on April 28, 1985, in favor of Naperville.{{Sanders-Heartland}}{{rp|251–252}} Passenger service was cut back to Quincy on May 1, 1994, after a major flood in 1993 destroyed the original station at West Quincy. The Illinois Zephyr and the Carl Sandburg trainsets continue to cross the Mississippi River to layover at the BNSF West Quincy railyard for servicing between runs.

On October 30, 2006, a second round trip, the Carl Sandburg was added as part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative. The train's name honors the famed and Pulitzer-winning writer Carl Sandburg, whose birthplace in Galesburg, Illinois lies just a few hundred feet from this train's route. The morning westbound/evening eastbound schedule complements the opposite morning eastbound/evening westbound schedule of the Illinois Zephyr.

Starting November 16, 2022, Amtrak began substituting the morning runs of the Illinois Zephyr (train 380) and Carl Sandburg (train 381) with Amtrak Thruway buses due to staffing shortages at Amtrak's Quincy crew base. The suspension lasted until January 17, 2023.{{cite news |title=Amtrak cancels 2 Quincy trains |url=https://khqa.com/news/local/amtrak-cancels-2-quincy-trains |access-date=December 1, 2022 |work=KHQA |date=November 16, 2022 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Amtrak cancels morning Illinois Zephyr, Carl Sandburg |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/amtrak-cancels-morning-illinois-zephyr-carl-sandburg/ |access-date=December 1, 2022 |work=Trains |date=November 17, 2022}}

During 2010, Amtrak contacted officials from communities in northeastern Missouri and western Illinois regarding the feasibility of extending the routes from Quincy to the Missouri cities of Hannibal and St. Louis. Without any funding, though, no formal planning or studies were done for the extension.{{cite web|url=http://www.connecttristates.com/news/story.aspx?id=527762|title=Hannibal rails for Amtrak|publisher=ConnectTristates.com|date=October 18, 2010|access-date=October 19, 2010}}

Plans for a Hannibal extension were revived in late 2021, when a coalition of political, business, and transportation leaders was formed. A committee will investigate potential station locations in downtown Hannibal (including the Y Men’s Pavilion), discuss surrounding mobility issues (including parking, walkability, and flooding), and work to find funding for planning and studies. The committee, which will be soliciting input from the public, held its first meeting January 2022.{{Cite web|last=Edlund|first=Clare|date=January 4, 2022|title=Hannibal coalition works to attract downtown Amtrak station|url=https://www.wgem.com/2022/01/05/hannibal-coalition-works-attract-downtown-amtrak-station/|access-date=January 24, 2022|website=WGEM|language=en}}

The Quincy–Hannibal route appeared in the 2022 Missouri State Freight and Rail Plan as a potential long-term passenger corridor.{{cite web |title=2022 Missouri State Freight and Rail Plan |url=https://www.modot.org/sites/default/files/documents/2022%20State%20Freight%20and%20Rail%20Plan.pdf |publisher=Missouri Department of Transportation |access-date=September 19, 2023 |pages=58}} In 2023 the Missouri Department of Transportation applied for federal funding to study the route under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.{{cite news |last1=Collison |first1=Kevin |title=MoDOT Seeks New Amtrak Service from KC to Springfield, St. Joe, STL |url=https://cityscenekc.com/modot-seeks-new-amtrak-service-from-kc-to-springfield-st-joe-stl/ |access-date=September 19, 2023 |work=CitySceneKC |date=September 18, 2023}}

{{Clear|left}}File:Amtrak Carl Sandburg.svgThe entire route is located in the U.S. state of Illinois.

File:Carl Sandburg train.jpg

A normal Amtrak Illinois Zephyr or Carl Sandburg consists of:{{cite web|url=http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/illinoiszephyr.htm|title=ILLINOIS ZEPHYR CARL SANDBURG|publisher=TrainWeb|access-date=October 19, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.whig.com/20171114/amtrak-touts-new-locomotives-for-local-passengers#|title=Amtrak touts new locomotives for local passengers|date=November 14, 2017 |publisher=The Whig|access-date=November 14, 2017}}

• One Siemens SC-44 Charger locomotive
• Two to Three Amtrak Midwest Siemens Venture coaches
• One Amfleet I or Horizon fleet Cafe/Business class car

{{clear}}

{{reflist}}

{{notelist}}

{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}

{{Attached KML|from=Carl Sandburg (train)|display=title,inline}}

{{commons category-inline}}

• {{amtrak web|route=yes}}

{{Amtrak routes}}

Category:Amtrak routes

Category:Passenger rail transportation in Illinois

Category:Railway services introduced in 1971

Category:Railway services introduced in 2006

Category:1971 establishments in Illinois