The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported recently on Illinois’ recent investment in rail transit:
"Earlier this year, the Illinois Legislature nearly doubled state funding for passenger rail service, to $24 million. The money allowed Amtrak to add two daily round trips to the previous three between St. Louis and Chicago, and to offer one additional daily round trip each in the Chicago-Carbondale and Chicago-Quincy corridors."
In just the first month offering the new routes, "Ridership on those routes was significantly greater in November than in November 2005 — up 61 percent between Chicago and Carbondale, 49 percent between Chicago and St. Louis and 35 percent between Chicago and Quincy."