Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg

The Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg are a pair of passenger trains operated by Amtrak operating along a route between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. The trains are a part of the "Illinois Service" rail network and are partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Between Chicago and Galesburg, Illinois, the services share the BNSF, (ex-CB&Q main line) with the "California Zephyr" and "Southwest Chief". The Galesburg to Quincy section (ex-CB&Q Quincy/Hannibal branch) is only served by the "Illinois Zephyr" and the "Carl Sandburg". Started in November 1971, the "Illinois Zephyr" is the "longest continuously operated state-sponsored train." The "Carl Sandburg" was added as a second daily round trip in 2006.
During fiscal year 2015, both the "Illinois Zephyr" and "Carl Sandburg" carried a combined 208,961 passengers, a 2.8% decrease over fiscal year 2014. The two trains had a total revenue of $5,287,029 in fiscal year 2015, a 4.2% decrease over fiscal year 2014.
History.
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. 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.
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. 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 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".
During 2010, Amtrak contacted officials from communities in northeastern Missouri and western Illinois regarding the feasibility of extending the "Illinois Zephyr", plus "Carl Sandburg", southwards to Hannibal, Missouri and St. Louis. While a study for the expansion was not conducted, the project could be funded with a mix of both federal and state money.
Consist.
Today, a normal Amtrak "Illinois Zephyr" or "Carl Sandburg" consists of: