Quad Cities (train)

Route map
	Legend
	0 mi
	0 km
	14 mi
	23 km
	28 mi
	45 km
	52 mi
	84 km
	83 mi
	134 km
	104 mi
	167 km
	Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg,
	California Zephyr, Southwest Chief
	142 mi
	229 km
	175 mi
	282 km
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

*Quad Cities*
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Planned
Locale	Illinois
First service	2027 (planned)
Current operator(s)	Amtrak
Route
Termini	Chicago, Illinois; Moline, Illinois
Stops	8
Distance travelled	162 miles (261 km)
Service frequency	Twice-daily
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Track owner(s)	BNSF, IAIS
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	0 mi
	0 km
	14 mi
	23 km
	28 mi
	45 km
	52 mi
	84 km
	83 mi
	134 km
	104 mi
	167 km
	Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg,
	California Zephyr, Southwest Chief
	142 mi
	229 km
	175 mi
	282 km
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

The Quad Cities is a planned Amtrak Illinois Service intercity passenger train that will operate between Chicago and Moline in the US state of Illinois. The train will duplicate the route and stations of the Carl Sandburg and Illinois Zephyr between Chicago and Wyanet using track owned by BNSF. On the Wyanet–Moline segment, which will include a station at Geneseo, the train will use track owned by Iowa Interstate Railroad.^[1]

History

Originally, the Rock Island Railroad provided passenger service in the Quad Cities via the Quad Cities Rocket train. The railroad initially declined to hand passenger operations over to Amtrak, and service to Chicago continued until December 31, 1978.^[2]

In 2008, United States Senators Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Dick Durbin and Barack Obama of Illinois sent a letter to Amtrak asking them to begin plans to bring rail service to the Quad Cities.^[3] In October 2010, a $230 million federal fund was announced that will bring Amtrak service to the Quad Cities, with a new line running from Moline to Chicago. They had hoped to have the line completed in 2015, and to offer two daily round trips to Chicago.^[4] In December 2011, the federal government awarded $177 million in funding for the Amtrak connection.^[5]

In 2015, Illinois Republican governor Bruce Rauner announced a spending freeze that placed both the proposed train service and the Black Hawk to Dubuque, Iowa, under review by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).^[6] After being on hold for over a year, IDOT moved forward with the project in order to prevent losing the $177 million in federal funding for the passenger service.^[7]

In July 2019, a new transportation bill was passed by the Illinois state legislature, supported by Governor J.B. Pritzker, with $225 million was appropriated to begin this service.^[8] In its 2020–2025 service plan, Amtrak forecast that the Chicago–Moline route will begin in fiscal year 2024 and attract 165,600 riders that year.^[9]

In February 2023, State Senator Mike Halpin, State Representative Gregg Johnson, and Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati asked IDOT and Amtrak to request intervention from the Surface Transportation Board against the Iowa Interstate Railroad for holding up the project.^[10]

In December 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration accepted an application by IDOT to enter the Chicago–Moline route into its Corridor Identification and Development Program. The program grants $500,000 toward service planning and prioritizes the route for future federal funding.^[11]

Stations

The entire route is in Illinois.

Town/City	Station	Connections
Chicago	Chicago Union Station	Amtrak: Blue Water, Borealis, California Zephyr, Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Empire Builder, Floridian, Hiawatha, Illini and Saluki, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Lake Shore Limited, Lincoln Service, Pere Marquette, Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle, Wolverine CTA Buses Amtrak Thruway, Megabus Metra: North Central Service, Milwaukee District/North Line, Milwaukee District/West Line, BNSF Railway Line, Heritage Corridor, SouthWest Service
La Grange	La Grange	Amtrak: Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg Metra: BNSF Railway Line Pace
Naperville	Naperville	Amtrak: California Zephyr, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Southwest Chief Metra: BNSF Railway Line Pace
Plano	Plano	Amtrak: Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg
Mendota	Mendota	Amtrak: Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Southwest Chief
Princeton	Princeton	Amtrak: California Zephyr, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Southwest Chief
Geneseo	Geneseo
Moline	Moline	Amtrak Thruway, Burlington Trailways, Greyhound Lines Quad Cities MetroLINK