Macomb, IL – Illinois has hired the Midwest High Speed Rail Association to try to boost Amtrak ridership.
Executive Director Rick Harnish says the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is expecting a slump in ridership his fall.
He says his agency has developed a web site that will help first-time riders learn how to book tickets and what to expect when they ride.
The site is "CatchanIllinoisTrain.com"
Harnish and other transportation boosters met at Macomb's Amtrak depot to encourage rail ridership.
He says the number of riders on the Illinois Zephyr through western Illinois is up around one-third since service increased to four stops per day. However, he says the goal is to increase ridership even more.