It’s no Cheap Trick: Amtrak service to Rockford and the Quad Cities is on the horizon

Terrific news for people who love malt-crust pizza cut into strips with scissors, and the rock band Cheap Trick. Plans for Amtrak passenger rail service to the Quad Cities and Rockford seem to be moving along nicely.

The $45 billion Illinois capital bill that passed last year in Springfield included $225 million for Amtrak service between Chicago and the Quad Cities, plus $275 million for service between Chicago and Rockford.

Yesterday a Streetsblog reader asked for an update on these projects. “I’m biased as I have family in both of those areas, and while my family does have a car, it’d be nice to have an option other than driving. Occasionally when visiting relatives in Rockford, I’ve been dropped off at Metra’s UP-Northwest station in Harvard for the long ride back into Chicago.”

The Harvard stop is 31 miles northeast from downtown Rockford, about a 45-minute drive, and the trip between Harvard and Chicago’s Ogilvie Center station takes about 1:45, for a total of at least 2:30. Meanwhile driving from the Ogilvie Center to downtown Harvard during the middle of a workday takes about 1:35, according to Google Maps.