Amtrak adds 'The Saluki' CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A little more than a year ago, the question was whether Amtrak would run a train service from Carbondale at all, according to this report by Caleb Hale published by the Southern Illinoisan.
Today, with another bullet dodge from federal budget cutbacks and double the state support for the three routes that run Illinois trains, Amtrak has not only introduced an additional train to the Carbondale station's daily itinerary, the company is calling it "The Saluki."
"That's terrific," said Southern Illinois University Carbondale Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Larry Dietz earlier this week when asked about his confidence in the status of Amtrak service beneficial to nearly 80 percent of the campus' student population, which comes from the northern part of the state.
"It's great name recognition," Dietz continued. "We take pride in the fact we've got a lot of alums in Chicago who can take the Saluki train down to Carbondale and back."
The new train represents more than pride, though; it gives native Chicago students going to school in Carbondale readily available access to home and provides community business members with a quick line to the big city.
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