What Time Are The Departures From St Louis Mo To Chicago Il
In general, the first departure of the night will leave St Louis, MO at 04:35, and the last departure will leave at 17:30. However, it is important to remember that this is general information, and these journey times are not necessarily available every day. Timetables for each provider on the route from St Louis, MO to Chicago, IL can change from day to day or month to month. In particular, many providers offer different schedules on weekdays and weekends. Public holidays, local events, and seasonal timetables can also cause schedules to change.
The Journey From Chicago To Springfield
We departed on time at 5:15PM. Several announcements we made, reminding us that this was a full train and a family service .
Tickets were checked pretty much immediately. Having our party split across two rows caused a bit of confusion, especially when we moved together later. The staff spent much of their time reprimanding individual passengers for taking up two seats.
Having gone to college in central Illinois and having in-laws in southern Illinois, Ill say that the journey from Chicago to southern Illinois is one of the most boring routes you can undertake in the country. Maybe one day Ill take a great picture of a cornfield and share it here, but for now youll just have to take me at my word.
Mid-trip I swung by the Cafe Car .
There had been an announcement asking that we not use laptops or lounge unnecessarily in the Cafe Car because it was a full train.
My menu board photo came out blurry, but clear enough for me to quickly highlight some prices:
- Boneless Buffalo Chicken Bites $5.50
- DiGiorno Pizza $9.75
- Sabra Hummus and Pretzels $4.50
- Liquor $7.25
- Domestic Beer $5.50
I didnt feel the need to eat anything, as I assume were all on the same page about the cost-benefit analysis that goes into deciding whether or not to eat train food.
Which Stations Can I Use To Travel From St Louis Mo To Chicago Il
Depending on the type of transport, and the provider you decide to use for your journey, you will be able to depart St Louis, MO from the following stations: St. Louis, MO. Arriving at Chicago, IL, your route will pass through all or some of the following stations: Chicago, IL. Not all transport providers serve every station, so check in advance to see exactly where your route takes you. You may need to use another form of transport to get from one station to another or to your final destination when you arrive in Chicago, IL.
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Amtrak St Louis To Chicago Beware
We traveled this past weekend from St. Louis to Chicago by Amtrak with confirmed, prepaid reservations. The trip to Chicago on Thursday afternoon took 8 1/2 hours instead of 5 1/2 because of heat-related issues with the tracks and multiple unplanned stops due to “freight traffic”. If that wasn’t bad enough, our return trip on Sunday, July 1 was completely cancelled by Amtrak without explanation or notifying us. We called them to check the departure status prior to checking out of our hotel which is how we found out the train was cancelled. They told us there were no other trains available for the day, but we could go to the station to talk to customer service about our refund options and “possibly” get a bus trip back to St. Louis, but with no guarantees. Union Station in Chicago is chaotic and unorganized…we were not willing to endure trying to deal with that situation, much less taking a bus back to St. Louis. We spent the next 2 hours scrambling to find a way home. We ended up having to pay $215 to rent a car one way back to St. Louis. Amtrak did this to us in 2006 because of one of the late November ice storms…on that occasion we had to fly home at our own expense! Never, never, never again will Amtrak get my business!
I had no idea that Amtrak was funded by the government. This is probably exactly why they don’t care about customer service…they don’t have to worry about getting repeat customers if our tax dollars are always available to bail them out!
Amtrak Service Is Now Speedier From St Louis To Chicago But Less Frequent To Kansas City
As of Monday morning, Amtrak service between St. Louis and Kansas City was reduced by 50%, with Amtrak citing a state-level decision as the impetus. What used to be two round trips each day by passenger trains will now be limited to one per day with an eastbound departure in Kansas City every morning and a westbound departure in St. Louis in the afternoon.
A federal law requires states to pay a portion of the cost of certain Amtrak trains, a recent Amtrak announcement stated about the change. Missouris state budget does not include funding for continuing to operate two Missouri River Runner round-trip trains.
Chicago-based spokesman Marc Magliari called the cut a pretty significant loss and one that comes even as Missourians express interest in expanding Amtrak service in light of the passage of President Joe Bidens infrastructure bill.
Magliari explained that for shorter Amtrak routes like the Missouri River Runner, a portion of the cost is paid by the state in this case via the Missouri Department of Transportation and that for many years, MoDOT was working with an appropriation from Jefferson City that really wasnt enough.
And theyd accumulated a certain amount of debt, Magliari said Tuesday on St. Louis on the Air. The legislature in Jefferson City this past year decided, Were going to catch up with our bills were not going to incur any debt. But they didn’t appropriate enough to run both round trips.
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Chicago To San Francisco
San Francisco does not have an Amtrak train station, but Amtrak provides bus service from Emeryville, California. If you choose San Francisco as your final destination when booking your tickets, the bus transfer is included in your fare. Train travel time on the California Zephyr to Emeryville is about 52 hours and the bus ride is about 30 minutes to San Francisco. Its a long trip, but the scenery is amazing along the way.
Which Trains Go From St Louis To Chicago
The Lincoln Service train is a regional route with less amenities and a cheaper price than the more full service Texas Eagle. The Texas Eagle could be booked all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles and includes an observation car and sleeper cars.
The Texas Eagle leaves St. Louis at 7:55am and arrives in Chicago at 1:52pm, so a sleeper car isnt a necessity. If however you just want to relax in a private room, they are available.
Sleeper car accommodations on the Texas Eagle include:
- Family Bedroom
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How Long Will It Take Me To Travel From St Louis Mo To Chicago Il By Train
In order to get from St Louis, MO to Chicago, IL faster, consider looking for an express service that makes fewer stops along the way. Conversely, a connecting route may, in some circumstances, be faster than a direct journey. The fastest routes between St Louis, MO and Chicago, IL will complete the journey in 5 h 25 min. On average, it will take you about 5 h 38 min to travel the 260.4 mi between St Louis, MO and Chicago, IL.
Plan Your Trip To Chicago And Save With These Discounts And Deals
Amtrak ticket deals can range from saving on business and coach class seats for booking early, buy one get one free ticket sales on select routes, discounted rates for traveling to major occasions around the country like Pride celebrations or sporting events, and so many more great deals that come and go throughout the year. Even without deals and promotions, an Amtrak train to Chicago can cost as little as $7 .
For the lowest prices Amtrak has to offer:
- Look through the everyday discounts for seniors, kids, passengers with disabilities, military, veterans and more
- Check out ourdeals, discounts, promotions, limited time offers
- Book early and take advantage of our Saver Fares rates for better prices
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For the ultimate way to save time and money on your trip planning, Amtrak Vacations has package deals for vacation getaways including a 3-day Chicago Getaway starting at $359.
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Where Is Chicagos Union Station Located
Chicagos Union Station is located just west of the Chicago River between the streets of Adams, Jackson, and Clinton. The address for Chicagos Union Station is 225 S Canal St, Chicago, IL 60606.
Dont let maps confuse you. Half of the stations footprint is underground. Between Canal and the river, there is no above-ground structure. Youll see an unrelated office building and a few entrances to the underground station:
The main station structure between Canal and Clinton is impossible to miss:
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A longer-than-expected process of installing and testing new GPS-related safety technology called positive train control was the reason for the delay.
Amtrak runs five round trips a day between St. Louis and Chicago, including one that connects to San Antonio, Texas. The increased speed is used in open expanses outside the St. Louis and Chicago metro areas.
The changes are part of a $1.95 billion upgrade of the St. Louis-Chicago corridor that was mostly finished in 2017.
The project, largely funded by federal economic stimulus dollars allotted under then-President Barack Obama, included new rails and concrete ties, new Amtrak stations in Alton and elsewhere and improved crossing gates to keep vehicles from weaving around crossing bars.
Also added were sidewalk gates barring pedestrians from crossing while a train approaches and 3-foot-high pedestrian fences at crossings.
Other improvements were aimed at cutting delays that sometimes made trips longer than the usual 5½ hours. Second-track segments and sidings were added or lengthened so two trains could run simultaneously in more areas.
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Boarding And Our Horizon Fleet Car
Boarding commenced right at about 5PM for our 5:15PM train, and our queue was directed right onto the train. In the past, weve had ticket check occur before boarding the train, but that didnt happen this time.
Heading to Springfield, we were sent nearly to the end of the platform. We had our choice between an older Amfleet car and a newer Horizon Fleet car and chose the Horizon.
Unfortunately this was a full train and there were no more double seats left, so we were split between two aisle seats.
The only inconvenience of this is that the outlets are on the window side, so we would need to awkwardly ask permission if we needed to charge anything.
Ive never had any issue with the seats on this route. At 57 I find the seats sufficiently spacious. They arent the definition of comfort, but Id be fine in them for anything but an overnight trip. The tray tables are a good size and comfortably fit my Macbook.
I switched seats mid-trip and my new tray table was defective and didnt come all the way down. This led to awkwardly cramped writing with my laptop on top of my lap.
Every seat has a reading light.
And as I said, the window side has outlets. Theyre horizontally oriented and dont have any sort of support, so I wouldnt be surprised to see some chargers struggle with them. Our large, 61W Macbook Pro charger did fine for a short bit, though.
Mph Amtrak Train From St Louis To Chicago Could Open Next Year
ST. LOUIS – 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.
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 nations 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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Chicago To New York City
Travel between two of the largest cities in the United States on Amtraks Lake Shore Limited or Cardinal routes. Trip time is around 20 hours on the Lake Shore Limited and 27 on the Cardinal. To view the beautiful New River Gorge, choose the Cardinal. Otherwise, both routes have sleeping accommodations and require a night on the train.
Train Information St Louis
The St. Louis – Chicago route has approximately 13 frequencies and its minimum duration is around 5h 25min. It is important you book your ticket in advance to avoid running out, since $22 tickets tend to run out quickly. The distance between St. Louis and Chicago is around 481 kilometers and bus companies that can help you in your journey are: Amtrak.
- Trips per day13
- Direct trips7
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Lincoln Service Train Route Schedule And Stops
The LINCOLN SERVICE train has 11 stations departing from St. Louis Gateway Station Amtrak and ending in Chicago Union Station.
LINCOLN SERVICE train time schedule overview for the upcoming week: Starts operating at 4:35 AM and ends at 5:30 PM. Operating days this week: everyday.
Choose any of the LINCOLN SERVICE train stations below to find updated real-time schedules and to see their route map.