Illinois legislators have less than 25 days left to find a long-term solution to save Amtrak’s Illini route linking Chicago to Carbondale. Despite different proposals being offered, Amtrak officials say they are certain legislators will find a solution.

Marc Magliari, Amtrak public affairs manager, said legislators will present Amtrak with proposals once a long-term solution is agreed upon.

There are various minds at work on the solution, he said. And I am confident they (Illinois legislators) will come to us in the next couple of days.

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Federal budget cuts forced Amtrak to ask Illinois legislators for a $2.5 million subsidy to continue the service of the Illini route from Feb. 29, when the federal subisidy will end, through June 30.

If the Illini route is cut, another route that runs from Chicago to New Orleans, with a stop in Carbondale at 1:30 a.m., will still be available. However, the route runs Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, not daily like the Illini.

Gov. Jim Edgar has said he will approve a long-term solution and not more stop-gap spending like the subsidy currently requested.

SIU President Ted Sanders attended an Illinois Department of Transportation meeting in Springfield Wednesday. He said the department presented three proposals to save the route.

Sanders said the department recommended that the state purchase the trains and contract Amtrak to run them. Department officials also suggested a reduction in the number of days the train runs and possibly asking local governments to pick up the cost of maintaining the stations.

Mayor Neil Dillard said he thinks eliminating days of service would be damaging. He said he would like to see Amtrak raise the number of days the service would run.

We need to generate more riders, Dillard said. Eliminating days would not accomplish that.

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Thomas M. Berry, state legislative director for the United Transportation Union, said the union also has a proposal for Amtrak to revise passenger service to accommodate shipping opportunities.

Amtrak is in a perfect position to run express cargo, like Fed Ex (Federal Express) packages, at a much lower rate than airlines, he said. This would quickly turn a profit.

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, said he plans to attend the United Transportation Union meeting today to hear the details of the union’s plan. He said he thinks it is a good idea and can be a viable long-term solution.

We are looking for the federal law that prohibits Amtrak from doing this and to find out if we can have it amended, Bost said. If the federal government is no longer going to fund the train service, then we should amend their laws that govern it.

Bost said he too feels confident that legislators will come to a conclusion before the current subsidy runs out. He said his legislation that calls for the $2.5 million stop-gap spending subsidy has been approved by the Public Health and Safety Committee and will be called for a vote on the House floor if a long-term solution is not reached.

We do not have enough votes to call the legislation yet, but if we need it, I am confident we can get the votes, Bost said.

Eric Robinson, Edgar’s spokesman, said the governor is not considering the legislation.

It (the legislation) is hypothetical, and we are only supporting the long-term solution, he said.