Alton station (Illinois)

Alton Regional Multimodal Transportation Center, also known as Alton station, is a station in Alton, Illinois, that is served by Amtrak's Lincoln Service and the Texas Eagle. The station was also a stop for the Ann Rutledge until April 2007. It is one of four Amtrak stations in the St. Louis metropolitan area; the other three are the Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center located in St. Louis, the Kirkwood station, and the Washington station.

Alton, IL
The Regional Mulitmodal Transportation Center in 2021
General information
Location	1 Golf Road Alton, Illinois United States
Coordinates	38°55′16″N 90°9′26″W
Owned by	Amtrak, IDOT, and the City of Alton
Line(s)	Union Pacific Railroad
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Connections	Madison County Transit
Construction
Parking	227 spaces
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: ALN
History
Opened	1928
Rebuilt	1989, 2017
Passengers
FY 2024	68,538[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station St. Louis Terminus Lincoln Service Carlinville toward Chicago St. Louis toward Los Angeles or San Antonio Texas Eagle
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station At former station St. Louis toward Laredo or Houston Inter-American Carlinville toward Chicago Preceding station Alton Railroad Following station Wood River toward St. Louis Main Line Godfrey toward Chicago Godfrey toward Kansas City Kansas City – St. Louis Wood River toward St. Louis
Location

History

The former station, used until 2017

The former Alton Railroad station, later used by the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad was built of brick. This station was located on College Avenue, south of the current station location. The 1928-built station was demolished after the current transportation center opened.^[2]

Under the Federal Railroad Administration's High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program, the state of Illinois received $1.2 billion to improve the Chicago-St. Louis rail corridor so passenger trains will be able to attain regular speeds of 110 miles per hour (180 km/h). Part of the funding awarded to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) included $7.4 million for the construction of a new station in Alton, which is one of the busiest Amtrak stops in the state. In December 2011, the city received an additional $13.85 million for the new station through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program.^[2]

The Alton Regional Multimodal Transportation Center, which opened September 13, 2017, accommodates intercity passenger rail, local and regional buses, taxis, and cyclists. IDOT architects designed the station, and the city then assumed ownership and maintains the property.^[2]

Transportation

Alton Station serves as a multimodal transfer point for Amtrak and Madison County Transit.

Amtrak

The station is currently served by Amtrak's Lincoln Service and the Texas Eagle,^[3] with an average of 10 trains daily.^[4]

Bus transportation

The station is connected to Madison County Transit bus routes 7, 8, and 10.^[5]