CHICAGO — Amtrak will operate modified schedules for two Illinois Service trains to allow passengers to better view the solar eclipse coming up on April 8, the passenger operator has announced.
On that day, Saluki train No. 391 will depart Chicago earlier, at 6:35 a.m., arriving at Carbondale, Ill., at 12:05 p.m. to reach the Area of Totality in time for the eclipse. A returning train, Illini No. 392, will depart Carbondale later, at 6:40 p.m., returning to Chicago at 12:10 a.m.
While the regular departure time for No. 392 is well after the conclusion of the eclipse, Amtrak has negotiated a later departure time with Canadian National because gridlocked roads following a 2017 eclipse made it difficult for some passengers to reach the station in time for the regular departure, an Amtrak spokesman said in an email to Trains News Wire.
Carbondale is on the center line for the path of totality and will see 4 minutes, 9 seconds of totality, according to this state of Illinois website, which has information on viewing the eclipse. The state Department of Transportation also has eclipse information here. There’s also much more on the eclipse at Trains.com’s sister website, Astronomy.com.
The schedule changes could affect those who normally make connections with Metra or other commuter services. Please see the Metra website or Ventra app for schedule information.
— Updated at 12:20 p.m. CT with additional information on departure time for Train No. 392.
The train will experience mechanical troubles and be late
OMG. Ya’ll are incredible. Almost every single post.
How on earth does your family put up with so much negative energy? Go outside. Enjoy the spring. Play with a dog. Maybe it’ll make you less of a crabby, negative person.
Partial solar eclipses, the type that only reduce the sunlight to a degree, are common. A total solar eclipse is a different experience. They are a once-in-a-lifetime event. If you are within the path of totality, you will have complete darkness. Like that of a moonless night at midnight. Stars will be visible for the duration of totality. Far more interesting than a lunar eclipse.
Return trip is showing sold out
Is Amtrak still running a long string of Superliners on this route per CN orders? Might be a good time to add some extra crew and make use of the increased capacity. If this eclipse is as popular as the 2017 one was in the Northwest, they’ll need it!
Interestingly Southern Illinois got the 2017 eclipse as well, on the path from Oregon to Tennessee.
Quick advice, go to a place where the solar eclipse occurs early morning or late afternoon. We viewed the last solar eclipse at midday near Nashville, about six or seven years ago. It was as if nothing happened. Got slightly less bright, that was all.
Lunar eclipses are so much more fun — you can actually look at them.
You don’t know what you are talking about. My brother, an amateur astronomer, and was northwest of Clarksville, TN for the 2017 solar eclipse. Smack dab in the middle of the path for totality. Total eclipse lasted roughly 4 hours from beginning, when the moon started to move across the face of the sun, to end, when moon cleared the face of the sun. Totality, when the moon totally covered the face of the sun, lasted only a little more than 2 1/2 minutes. In those 2 1/2 minutes he, his wife, and over other 100 people at the campground; did see stars when it got dark.
If you Landey’s advise, to go early in morning or late in the afternoon you’ll miss everything.
April showers bring May flowers. Good luck.