The new Amtrak reservation policy for the Carbondale-to-Chicago train shows Amtrak officials are concerned about students and not just students’ money. What a relief.

Most student Amtrak riders were worried last year when Amtrak officials considered moving the departure time of the Illini route from Carbondale to Chicago to a student-unfriendly time. Students worried about missed classes and shortened trips home because of the proposed 6 a.m. departure time. We wondered whether Amtrak officials realized the amount of money that student riders pumped into Amtrak.

When local grassroots efforts convinced Amtrak officials not to change the Illini route’s departure time, students wondered about the possibility of the idea returning in the near future. SIUC students still were unsure that Amtrak appreciated their concerns.

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And when Amtrak announced Oct. 14 that the Illini route from Carbondale-to-Chicago would become all-reserved seating Sunday, our immediate reaction was to wonder if students would be inconvenienced by the switch. Our concerns have since been allayed.

Amtrak’s new plan allows students to reserve seats on the train in as many days in advance as they wish provided they pay for tickets within a week of reservations. Last-minute student travelers still can purchase tickets on the day of departure if seats are available.

What does this flexible plan mean? It means that students may have seen the end of the days when buying an Amtrak ticket in advance still could have meant standing during the duration of a long trip home. Traditionally overcrowded Illini routes may be a thing of the past, thanks to a little empathy from Amtrak.