Alton station (Illinois)

Last updated
Alton, IL
Alton Regional Multimodal Transportation Center.jpg
The Regional Mulitmodal Transportation Center in 2021
General information
Location1 Golf Road
Alton, Illinois
United States
Coordinates 38°55′16″N90°9′26″W / 38.92111°N 90.15722°W / 38.92111; -90.15722
Owned byAmtrak, IDOT, and the City of Alton
Line(s) Union Pacific Railroad
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
ConnectionsAiga bus trans.svg Madison County Transit
Construction
Parking227 spaces
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Other information
Station code Amtrak: ALN
History
Opened1928
Rebuilt1989, 2017
Passengers
FY 202249,368 [1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
St. Louis
Terminus
Lincoln Service Carlinville
toward Chicago
St. Louis Texas Eagle
Former services
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
At former station
St. Louis
toward Laredo or Houston
Inter-American Carlinville
toward Chicago
Preceding station Alton Railroad Following station
Wood River
toward St. Louis
Main Line Godfrey
toward Chicago
Godfrey
toward Kansas City
Kansas City  St. Louis Wood River
toward St. Louis
Location
Alton station (Illinois)

Alton Regional Multimodal Transportation Center, also known as Alton station, is a station in Alton, Illinois, that is served by Amtrak's Lincoln Service and the Texas Eagle . This was also a stop for the Ann Rutledge until April 2007. It is one of three Amtrak stations in the St. Louis metropolitan area; the other two are the Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center located in downtown St. Louis, and the Amtrak station in Kirkwood, Missouri.

Contents

History

The former station, used until 2017 Alton Illinois Amtrak Station 2011.jpg
The former station, used until 2017

The former Alton Railroad station, later used by the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad was built of brick. This station was located on College Avenue, south of the current station location. The 1928-built station was demolished after the current transportation center opened. [2]

Under the Federal Railroad Administration's High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program, the state of Illinois received $1.2 billion to improve the Chicago-St. Louis rail corridor so passenger trains will be able to attain regular speeds of 110 miles per hour (180 km/h). Part of the funding awarded to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) included $7.4 million for the construction of a new station in Alton, which is one of the busiest Amtrak stops in the state. In December 2011, the city received an additional $13.85 million for the new station through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program. [2]

The Alton Regional Multimodal Transportation Center, which opened September 13, 2017, accommodates intercity passenger rail, local and regional buses, taxis, and cyclists. IDOT architects designed the station, and the city then assumed ownership and maintains the property. [2]

Transportation

Alton Station serves as a multimodal transfer point for Amtrak and Madison County Transit.

Amtrak

The station is currently served by Amtrak's Lincoln Service and the Texas Eagle, [3] with an average of 10 trains daily. [4]

Bus transportation

The station is connected to Madison County Transit bus routes 7, 8, and 10. [5]

Related Research Articles

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Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about 18 miles (29 km) north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 25,676 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the River Bend area in the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. It is famous for its limestone bluffs along the river north of the city, as the former location of the state penitentiary, and for its role preceding and during the American Civil War. It was the site of the last Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debate in October 1858. The former state penitentiary in Alton was used during the Civil War to hold up to 12,000 Confederate prisoners of war. Also, the tallest man in history, Robert Wadlow, was born and raised in Alton.

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References

  1. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of Illinois" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Great American Stations. Accessed March 20, 2013.
  3. "Amtrak - Alton, IL (ALN)". www.trainweb.org. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  4. "New Amtrak Station in Alton serves the River Bend Region". Amtrak Media. 2017-09-15. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  5. "Madison County Transit Schedules And Maps". mct.org. Retrieved 2021-12-12.