With billions of dollars Congress set aside in last year’s infrastructure bill, lawmakers would like to see Amtrak expand routes…. 

The passenger rail service eliminated and reduced some long-distance routes as a cost-saving measure as demand dropped sharply during the pandemic. Amtrak Illinois spokesman Marc Magliari says expanding service in Illinois has been a long-term goal.  Magliari says a challenge facing Amtrak today is a workforce shortage. He says the company currently has 4,000 openings nationwide.  Amtrak ridership was down nearly 65 percent in 2021 compared to 2019.

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