The subsidies Illinois gives Amtrak are well worth it, according to Tim Butler, the new president of the Illinois Railroad Association.  “It’s an important part of the transportation system,” and, he adds “passenger rail can grow in Illinois.”

Butler says it’s important to have a relationship between the freight railroads, which own most of the rail lines, and Amtrak because “people want to travel by rail.” Amtrak is not part of the association, but he said it is important to the story of railroads in Illinois. Butler used to represent part of Springfield in the Illinois House.