By Illinois Public Radio/KWMU
Springfield, Ill. – Amtrak and Canadian National Railway reached a deal Thursday night that will allow additional passenger train trips through Illinois.
Canadian National, which owns the tracks, had put the breaks on Amtrak's plan to add two additional trains between Chicago and St. Louis.
The service is set to begin Monday.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin had threatened to flex federal legislative muscle if there wasn't a resolution to the situation.
He calls the agreement a good result.
"Had we not reached this agreement last night I'm afraid we would been headed to court today. This is a much better outcome," Durbin said. "It's much better for the people of Illinois to be headed to the train station than to be following a case in court."
But as part of the agreement Canadian National will evaluate after a year whether the additional routes are interfering with freight traffic.
Durbin says the Amtrak schedule could be readjusted.