Study: Book your Amtrak tickets now — demand is surging in Chicago region
Over 6 million Illinoisans will drive, fly, bus and train somewhere over the approaching holidays, a 2.2% uptick from 2024, AAA reports.
Better grab your Amtrak ticket soon though.
With full trains over Thanksgiving and Labor Day at Union Station, the Chicago region is outperforming other parts of the U.S. in traffic growth this year, DePaul University analysts say.
That’s good right? Yes … but it also shows a dire need for more frequent and longer trains, according to Growth Spurt, a recent study by DePaul’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development.
“Demand for train travel from Chicago is very strong. A growing tendency for travel to be heavily concentrated around weekends and holidays, however, is creating serious capacity problems,” transportation Professor Joseph Schwieterman explained.
New DePaul data shows 45 Amtrak trains departing Union Station sold out over the Thanksgiving period. And coach class seats on 28 out of 30 trains leaving Nov. 30 also sold out.
“Good luck to those who procrastinate before trying to book train travel to Detroit, St. Louis or St. Paul at peak times during the upcoming holidays,” said Schwieterman, Chaddick’s director.
The report projects a 10% boost in passengers in the Chicago hub over the next two years. It also highlights the need for state governments to increase capacity on Amtrak's regional trains.
“The seat shortages are good news for FlixBus, Greyhound and other bus lines catering heavily to those waiting until the last minute to book,” Schwieterman said.
Here are some specific findings from the study:
• Ridership on Midwest, state-supported Amtrak routes into Union Station rose by 8% from October 2024 through June 30, outperforming West and East coast peers. That’s partly driven by improvements to the 100-year-old station and the debut of Amtrak’s Borealis train between Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota.
• Ridership is forecast to reach prepandemic 2019 levels by late 2026. Growth in the next two years will be spurred by the debut of Metra service to Rockford in late 2027, and an additional Chicago-Milwaukee Amtrak round-trip train.
• The upward trajectory will likely hit a wall from 2028 through 2030 due to a lack of passenger rail cars to meet demand and states not adding new service, researchers expect.
To keep the growth spurt going, the report recommends Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin double-down on expanding capacity by adding coach cars, for example.
Another idea is more aggressive marketing with fare promotions and a robust online presence. Researchers also endorse synergies between Amtrak and public transit such as Metra.
“Amtrak is unfortunately having to turn away many prospective passengers during holidays due to equipment shortages. State governments need to get moving to help the Chicago Hub system reach its full potential,” Schwieterman advised.
Got a comment? Drop an email to mpyke@dailyherald.com.
One more thing
The CTA will close its busy State/Lake station on Jan. 5 allowing workers to demolish the 120-year-old structure and build a new, fully accessible replacement. Lake/State is the fifth oldest CTA stop and one of the busiest transfer locations in the Loop. Riders can expect wider platforms, a glass canopy and new elevators. The downside? It won’t open until 2029.
You should know
Vroom. Vroom. After Santa, the Chicago Auto Show is coming to town from Feb. 7 through 16 at McCormick Place. Old friends like Camp Jeep as well as indoor and outdoor test tracks will be back, plus a new feature — Chi-town Alley, an immersive exhibit that highlights the city’s car culture.
Doors open at 10 a.m. every day. Tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for kids ages 4 to 12 and fans 62 and older; children age 3 and younger are free. To learn more, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com.