Tagged: Amtrak

One area of state government that's not facing cuts under Illinois's worst-ever budget is its support for passenger rail service.

Gov. Pat Quinn is seeking to increase spending on Amtrak service in the state by $12 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

The Bloomington Pantagraph reports  that the 46 percent increase would bring total spending to $38 million for routes from Chicago to St. Louis, Carbondale and Galesburg.

A 2008 federal law requires states to start picking up a larger part of the tab for rail service on routes shorter than 750 miles.

Police say an eastern Missouri man has died after he was struck by an Amtrak train.

Police say the 20-year-old man was walking along railroad tracks in Pacific Wednesday night when he was hit by the train. He was walking home from a restaurant to his home about three blocks away when he was hit.

About 50 people were on the Amtrak train headed from Kansas City to St. Louis. No one aboard the train was hurt.

The man's name hasn't been released.