Carbondale station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carbondale, IL
Carbondale station in July 2010
Location	401 South Illinois Street, Carbondale, Illinois United States
Coordinates	37°43′27″N 89°12′59″W / 37.7243°N 89.2165°W / 37.7243; -89.2165
Owned by	Canadian National (Illinois Central)
Line(s)	CN Centralia Subdivison
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	CDL
History
Opened	July 4, 1854
Rebuilt	1903; 1981
Traffic
Passengers (2014)	129,446  4.7%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Fulton toward New Orleans City of New Orleans Centralia toward Chicago Terminus Illini and Saluki Du Quoin toward Chicago
Former services Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station Makanda toward New Orleans Main Line DeSoto toward Chicago Murphysboro toward St. Louis St. Louis – Carbondale Terminus Du Quoin Via Du Quoin toward St. Louis Texas toward Gale Gale – Carbondale
Illinois Central Railroad Passenger Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Location	111 S. Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, Illinois
Area	less than one acre
Built	1903 (1903)
Architect	Bacon, Francis T.
NRHP reference No.	02000457
Added to NRHP	May 9, 2002

The Carbondale station is an important train stop in Carbondale, Illinois. It is served by Amtrak, America's passenger train system. This station is the very last stop for Amtrak trains in southern Illinois.

Two main Amtrak train lines use this station. They are the Illini and Saluki routes and the City of New Orleans route. You can also catch a special bus here, called an Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach. This bus connects Carbondale to St. Louis, Missouri.

A Look Back: Carbondale Station's History

Early Days and New Buildings

Train service first came to Carbondale on July 4, 1854. The original station was made of wood. It was built by the Illinois Central Railroad (IC).

In 1903, the IC built a new station. This new building was part of many improvements in Carbondale. These improvements included a roundhouse for trains and new office buildings. The new station was designed by an architect named Francis T. Bacon. It was built using brick and limestone.

Amtrak Takes Over

On May 1, 1971, Amtrak began running most passenger trains. Before this, private companies like the Illinois Central Railroad ran them. Amtrak started service to Carbondale with two trains. One was the City of New Orleans, which went from Chicago to New Orleans. The other was the Shawnee, which went from Chicago to Carbondale.

In 1981, the City of New Orleans train name was brought back. That same year, Amtrak built a brand new station in Carbondale. This new station was about 800 feet (244 meters) south of the old one.

New Train Names and University Connections

On January 12, 1986, the Shawnee train was combined with another train called the Illini. The train kept its Carbondale stop but used the Illini name.

Later, on October 30, 2006, a second daily Illini train was added. This new train was named the Saluki. The name Saluki comes from the mascot of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. This university is located right there in Carbondale.

The Old Station's New Life

The city of Carbondale bought the old 1903 station from the Illinois Central Railroad in 1989. The outside of the building was fixed up in 1992. Then, the inside was restored in 1996.

On May 9, 2002, the old station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a special building that is important to history. Today, the building is used for offices. It houses Carbondale Main Street and the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce.

Future Plans

In November 2019, the city received a large grant of $14 million. This money will be used to build a new transportation center. It will be called the Southern Illinois Multi-Modal Station. This new center will replace the 1981 Amtrak station. It will be a large building for both trains and buses.

• Amtrak – Stations – Carbondale, IL
• Trainweb USA Rail Guide: Carbondale, IL